^^ptr-y^lTftlQ 


i*^ 


AN   ESSAY 

ON    THE 

PROPAGATION   OF  THE   GOSPEL; 

IN    WHICH  THERE  ARE 

NUMEROUS  FACTS  AND  ARGUMENTS 

Adduced  to  prove  that  many  of  the 

INDIANS  IN  AMERICA 

Are  descended  from  the 

TEN   TRIBES. 


'*  But  when  he  fawthe  multitudes  he  was  moved  with  com- 
pafiion  on  them,  becaufe  they  fainted,  and  were  fcattered  abroad, 
as  Sheep  having  no  Shepherd.  Then  faith  he  unto  his  difciples, 
the  harvest  truly  is  plenteous,  but  the  labourers  are  few  :  Pray 
ye,  therefore,  the  Lord  of  the  Harveft,  that  he  will  fend  forth 
labourers  into  his  harveft."  MATTHEW,  ix.  36,  37,  38. 

"  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gofpel  to  every 
creature."  MARK,  xvi.  15. 

THE   SECOND  EDITION. 


By  CHARLES  CRAWFORD  Esq. 


PRINTED,     AND    SOLD    BY    JAMES    HUMPHREYS, 

1801. 


AN   ESSAY 


IT  teems  to  be  at  this  time  required  of 
the  difciples  of  Chrift,  that  there 
ihould  not  be  a  nation  from  the  north 
to  the  fouth  pole,  without  having  the 
gofpel  preached  to  them.  "  How  beau 
tiful  (faith  the  fcripture)  are  the  feet  of 
them  that  preach  the  gofpel  of  peace, 
and  bring  glad  tidings  of  good  things!" 
The  principal  places,  however,  where 
the  gofpel  might  at  this  time  be  propa 
gated  with  great  profpecl  of  fuccefs,  are 
in  America,  among  the  Indians,  and  in 
Africa,  among  the  Negroes,  and  others. 

There  is  a  ftrong  argument  in  favor 
of  the  Indians  being  converted  tochrifli- 
anity,  their  being  defcended  from  the 
Jews.— St.  Paul  fays  that  "  all  Ifrael 
fhall  be  faved."  As  this  is  a  fubject  of 
great  importance,  it  may  be  neceftary  to 
give  it  considerable  attention, — 

The 


The  aborigines  of  America  were  pro 
bably  the  descendants  of  Noah,  that  is, 
America  was  firft  peopled  by  the  fons 
of  Noah,  before  thedivifion  of  the  globe. 
The  fons  of  Noah  are  faid  to  have  wan 
dered  over  the  earth.  We  read  in  the 
25th  verfe  of  the  loth  chapter  of  Ge- 
neiis,  of  Peleg,  that  "  in  his  days  was 
the  earth  divided."  The  Hebrew  word 
Peleg  fignifies  a  diviiion. — It  is  a  ftrong 
argument  in  favor  of  the  divifion  of  the 
globe  being  a  fact  of  great  notoriety, 
that  a  man  of  eminence  obtained  his 
name  from  the  circumftance.  From 
the  Timasus  of  Plato  it  appears,  that  the 
Greeks  had  fome  idea  of  this  event.* 
If  we  look  at  a  map  of  the  world,  we 
fhall  think  it  highly  probable,  that  the 
Weft  India  lilands  have  been  feparated 

by 

*  Plato  in  his  Timxus  fays,  it  was  reported  there 
was  formerly  an  ifland  in  the  Atlantic,  beyond  the 
Pillars  of  Hercules,  greater  than  Africa  and  Afia. 
Me  fays  that  in  a  vaft  earthquake  the  earth  opened, 
and  fwallowed  up  its  warlike  inhabitants,  and  the 
ifland  itfelf  was  funk  in  an  enormous  whirlpool. 

See  Plato's  Works,  printed  at  Lyons,  in  1590* 
Folio.  Page  525, 

«'  And  where  th'  Atlantic  rolls  wide  continents 
have  bloom'd." 

Seattle's  MinftreK 


by  a  great  convulfion  of  nature,  from  the 
continent  of  America.  Carver  in  his 
travels  fays,  that  at  Beering's  Straits 
(which  arenowfometimes  called  Cook's 
Straits)  the  continents  of  Afiaand  Ame 
rica,  on  both  fides,  appear  as  if  they  had 
formerly  been  united. 

Afterwards  it  is  probable  that  America 
was  further  peopled  by  the  Ten  Tribes, 
who  were  taken  captive  by  Shalmanefer, 
King  of  Aflyria.  We  read,  in  2  Kings, 
17;  6;  that  "  in  the  ninth  year  of 
Hofea,  the  King  of  Aflyria  took  Sama 
ria,  and  carried  Ifrael  away  into  Aflyria; 
and  placed  them  in  Halah  and  in  Habor, 
by  the  river  of  Gozan,  and  the  cities 
of  the  Medes."  It  is  faid  "  There  was 
none  left  but  the  tribe  of  Judah  only." 
I  conceive,  however,  that  in  this,  as 
well  as  feveral  other  paflages  of  Scrip 
ture,  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  which  was 
once  nearly  extirpated^  is  comprehend 
ed  under  that  of  Judah.— From  thefe 
two  laft  tribes  the  Jews  in  Europe  have 
principally  defcended :  Or,  to  fpeak  with 
more  accuracy,  from  thefe  two  and  the 
tribe  of  Levi.  We  generally  fpcak  of 
the  twelve  tribes  of  Ifrael,  though  in 
A  2  reality 


reality  there  were  thirteen.  The  land 
of  Ifrael  was  divided  into  twelve  parts 
for  the  twelve  tribes,  and  the  tribe 
of  Levi  had  no  part  nor  inheritance  with 
their  brethren.  By  the  Mofaic  law  they 
were  to  receive,  inftcad,  certain  parts 
of  things  that  were  facrificed,  and  the 
first  fruit  of  Corn,  Wine,  Oil,  &c. 

It  is  faid  in  Eitlras-f-  (which  though  it 
may  contain  fome  idle  vifions,  has  ibme 
truths)  that,  "  the  Ten  Tribes  whicfc 
Were  carried  away  prifoners  out  of  their 
own  land,  took  counfel  among  them- 
felves  that  they  would  leave  the  multi 
tude  of  the  heathen,  and  go  into  a  fur 
ther  country/'  It  is  faid  they  went  into 
a  country  called  Arfareth,  or  Ararath, 
which  in  Hebrew  fignifies  "  the  curfe 
of  trembling/'  Sir  William  Jones,  in 
his  account  of  the  Afghans,  in  the  Afi- 
atic  Refearches,  which  account  is  alfo 
printed  in  his  own  works,  obferves, 
«  they  are  faid  by  the  beft  Perfian  Hi- 
ftorians  to  be  defcended  from  the  Jews." 
He  fays  they  have  a  diftricl:  called  Ha- 
zareh  or  Hazaret,  which  might  eafily 

have 

f  2  Efdras,  Chap,  xiii. 


have  been  changed  into  the  word  ufed 
by  Efdras. 

It  is  probable  that  a  part  of  the  Ten 
Tribes  remained  in  the  country,  where 
they  were  carried  near  Habor  (which 
is  now  called  Tabor)  and  that  the  Tar 
tars  are  their  defendants.  It  is  men 
tioned  in  Aaron  Hill's  Travels  that  the 
Tartars  had  a  town  called  Jericho,  and 
that  the  name  of  their  capital  Samar- 
yan  (or  Samarcand)  is  very  little  differ 
ent  from  Samaria.  It  is  faid  they  had  a 
Mount  Sion,  and  a  river  Jordan;  with 
many  pillars,  buildings  and  reliques  of 
antiquity  which  were  evidently  Jewifh 
monuments.  The  Tartars*  boaft  of 
their  defcent  from  the  Jews.  Some 
Moravian  Miffionaries  who  have  been 

at 


*  '*  Tamerlain,  or  rather  Tam-her-lane  the 
great,  who  led  the  Turkifh  Bajazet  about  his  city  in 
an  iron  cage,  would  often  take  occafion  to  be  vaunt 
ing  of  his  pedigree,  affirming  he  was  lineally  defcend- 
ed  from  the  tribe  of  Dan,  in  an  uninterrupted  Ge 
nealogy." 

See  "  the  prefent  flare  of  ^Ethiopia,  Egypt,  Palef- 
tine  and  the  whole  Ottoman  Empire."  By  Aaron 
Hill  Eiq.  Folio,  page  33 1.  London  printed,  1709. 


8 


at  Mount  Caucafus  in  Tartary,  and  in 
North  America,  fay  there  are  people  at 
Caucafus^  who  fpeak  a  language  fimi- 
lar  to  that  of  fome  American  Indians. ~ 
The  Tartars  are  divided  into  tribes, 
and  pra&ife  circumcifion. 

A  part  of  the  Ten  Tribes  may  have 
continued  in  Arfareth,  as  well  as  Tar 
tary,  and  a  part  may  have  paft  over 
from  the  continent  of  Alia  to  that  of 
America,  at  Beering's  or  Cook's  Straits. 
— It  is  faid  in  Ledyard's  account  of 
Captain  Cook's  voyage,  that  thefe 
Straits  are  but  fourteen  leagues  over; 
about  twice  the  breadth  of  the  Straits 
of  Dover.  It  is  mentioned  in  Cook's 
laft  voyage  that  there  are  fome  Iflands, 
named  Diomede,  about  the  middle  of 
thefe  Straits,  which  are  alternately  vifit- 
ed  by  the  inhabitants  of  both  continents. 
Many  have  gone  from  one  continent  to 
the  other  in  open  boats. 

An  interefting  work  was  publifhed 
in  London  in  1775,  entitled,  "  Hifto- 
ry  of  the  American  Indians,  particular 
ly  thofe  nations  adjoining  the  Miflif- 
fippi,  Eaft  and  Weft  Florida,  Georgia, 

South 


South  and  North  Carolina,  and  Virgi 
nia,  by  James  Adair,  Efq.  a  trader 
with  the  Indians,  and  refident  in  their 
country  for  forty  years." 

Mr.  Adair  endeavours  to  prove  by  23 
arguments  that  fome  of  the  Indians  are 
the  defcendants  of  the  Jews.  "  i .  Their 
divifion  into  tribes;  2.  Their  wor- 
fhipof  Jehovah;  3.  Their  notions  of 
theocracy;  4.  Their  belief  in  the  mi- 
niftration  of  angels ;  5.  Their  lan 
guage  and  dialedts;  6.  Their  manner 
of  counting  time;  7.  Their  Prophets 
and  high  Priefts;  8.  Their  feftivals, 
fafts,  and  religious  rites;  9.  Their  dai 
ly  facrifice;  10.  Their  ablutions  and 
anointings ;  1 1 .  Their  laws  of  unclean  - 
nefs;  12.  Their  abftinence  from  un 
clean  things  ;  13.  Their  marriages,  di 
vorces  and  punifhments;  15.  Their 
cities  of  refuge ;  16.  Their  purificati 
ons,  and  ceremonies  preparatory  to  war; 
17.  Their  ornaments ;  1 8 .  Their  man 
ner  of  curing  the  fick;  19.  Their 
burial  of  the  dead ;  20.  Their  mourn 
ing  for  their  dead ;  21.  Their  raifing 
feed  to  a  deceafed  brother;  22.  Their 

choice 


IO 


choice  of  names;  23.   Their  own  tra 
ditions.1' 

It  has  been  fuppofed  there  are  many 
vifionary  notions  in  Mr.  Adair's  work. 
If  we  were  to  grant  there  are  fome,.  we 
might  contend  and  prove  there  are  many 
things  obferved  by  him,  and  corrobo 
rated  by  others  v  which  indifputably  ma- 
nifeft  the  defcent  of  the  Indians  from 
the  Jews.— The  defcent  in  my  opinion 
would  be  clearly  proved,  if  they  could 
only  efkblifh  two  points,  and  they  can 
eftablifh  many  more,,  the  feparation  of 
their  women  at  a  certain  time  by  the 
Indians,  and  their  dance  in  which  they 
fmg  Hallelujah  Yo-he-wah.  We  know 
the  former  cuftom  to  prevail  univerfal- 
ly,  and  the  latter  frequently  among  the 
Indians  particularifed  by  Mr.  Adair. — 
Muft  not  the  first  cuftom  have  fprung 
from  a  higher  fource  than  the  indelicate 
mind  of  a  Savage,  and  could  they  have 
found  Hebrew  words  in  the  Defart  ? 

Mr.  Adair  fuppofes  the  practice  of 
circumcifion  muft  have  declined  among 
the  Indians,  from  the  lofs  of  their  {harp 
knives  as  they  pafled  through  the  De- 
fart 


II 


iart.  In  a  curious  and  learned  pam 
phlet,  however,  published  in  London 
in  1650,  entitled,  "  Jewes  in  Ameri 
ca,  or  probabilities  that  the  Americans 
are  Jewes,  propofed  by  Thomas  Tho- 
rowgood,  B.  D.  one  of  the  AfTembly 
of  Divines"  the  author  obferves  "  Gro- 
tius  fays  confidently,  we  have  fo  many 
witneffes  that  the  Americans  be  cir- 
cumcifed,  as  it  becomes  not  a  modeft 
man  to  deny  it;  and  among  the  rarities 
brought  from  thofe  quarters  Pancillorus 
fpeaks  of  ftoney  knives  very  fharpe 
and  cutting,  and  his  illuftrator,  H. 
Salmuth,  fhews  that  the  Jewes  of  old  did 
ufe  fuch  in  their  circumciiings,  knives 
of  ftone:*  which  facrarnent  omitted 
forty  years  in  their  travels,  is  revived  by 
God's  command  to  Jofhua,  5  •  2 ; 
Make  thee  fharpe  knives,  cultros  pe- 
trinos.  Arias  Montanus  reads  cultros 
lapideos  in  the  Vulgar  Latine,  but  the 
Septuagint  doth  not  only  mention 
thofe  rockey  knives,  but  adds,  taken 
from  a  iharpe  rocke,  as  if  the  allufion  al- 

fo 

*  "  Then  Zipporah  took  a  (harp  ftonc,  and  cut  off 
the  forefldn  of  her  fon.J>  Exodus,  iv  j  25. 


12 


fo  were  to  Chrift  the  Rocke  that  doth 
circumcife  our  hearts.  Lerius  affirms 
he  faw  fome  of  thofe  cutting  ftones  or 
knives  at  Brazil/'  pages,  9  and  10. 

William  Penn  fays  of  the  natives  of 
Pennfylvania,  "  For  their  original  I  am 
ready  to  believe   them  of  the  Jewifh 
race,  I  mean  of  the  ftock  of  the  Ten 
Tribes,  and  that  for  the  following  rea- 
fons :  Firft  they  were  to  go  to  a  land 
not  planted  or  known,    which   to  be 
fure  Afia  and  Africa  were,  if  not  Europe  j 
and  He  that  intended  that  extraordina 
ry  judgment  upon  them  might  make 
the  paffage  not  uneafy  to  them,  as  it  is 
not  impoffible  in  itfelf  from  the  eaftern- 
moft  parts  of  Afia  to  the  wefternmoft  of 
America.  In  the  next  place  I  find  them 
of  like  countenance,  and  their  children 
of  fo  lively  refemblance,   that  a    man 
would  think  himfelf  in  Duke's  Place  or 
Berry  Street,  in  London,  when  he  feeth 
them.     But  this  is  not  all,  they  agree 
in  Rites  \  they  reckon  by  Moons,  they 
offer  their  firft-fruits,  they  have  a  kind 
of  feaft  of  Tabernacles,  they  are  faid  to 
lay  their    Altar    upon    twelve  ftones -y 
their  mourning  a  year,    cuftoms  of  wo- 


men,  with  many  things  that  do  not 
now  occur."  See  a  general  defcription 
of  Pennfylvania  by  William  Penn. 

It  is  curious  and  pleafing  in  reading 
the  travels  of  thofe  who  have  been 
among  the  Indians,  to  find  how  the 
customs  of  the  Indians  comport  fre 
quently  with  the  laws  of  Mofes.  Thefe 
cuftoms  are  fometimes  faithfully  defcri- 
bed  by  men  who  have  no  fuppofition 
that  any  of  the  American  Indians  are 
the  defcendants  of  the  Ten  Tribes. 

David  Brainerd  in  his  Journal  fays, 
"  vifited  the  Indians  at  Juneauta  Ifland 
(Pennfylvania)  and  found  them  almoft 
univerfally  bury  in  making  preparations 
for  a  great  facrifice  and  dance. 

"  In  the  evening  they  met  together, 
near  a  hundred  of  them,  and  danced 
round  a  large  fire,  having  prepared  ten 
fat  deer  for  the  facrifice,  the  fat  of  whofe 
inwards  they  burnt  in  the  fire  while 
they  were  dancing. 

"  They  continued  their  f acred  dance 

all   night   or   near    the  matter,    ^fter 

B  which 


which  they  ate  the  flefh  of  the  facri- 
£ce." 

In  Leviticus  it  is  faid  "  The  fat  that 
covereth  the  inwards,  and  all  the  fat 
that  is  upon  the  inwards.  The  Prieft 
fhall  burn  them  upon  the  altar:  it  is 
the  food  of  the  offering  made  by  fire, 
for  a  fweet  favour.  All  fat  is  the  Lord's. 
It  fhall  be  a  perpetual  ftatute  for  your 
generations,  throughout  all  your  dwel 
lings,  that  ye  eat  neither  fat  nor  blood." 
See  Leviticus,  latter  part  of  the  third 
chapter.  Ifaiah  alfo  fpeaks  to  the  Jew- 
iih  nation  "  of  the  fat  of  thy  facrifices." 

43  >  24" 

Mr.  Samuel  Hearne  printed  a  work 
in  London,  in  1795,  entitled  "  A  Jour 
ney  from  Prince  of  Wales's  Fort  in 
Hudfon's  Bay,  to  the  Northern  Ocean." 
He  fays  the  northern  Indians  have  a 

dance  in  which  they  ling  Hee-Hee 

Hoe-Hoe;  which  mult  originally  have 
been  the  fame  with  that  of  the  fouthern 
Indians  in  which  they  fing  Hallelujah 
Yo-he-wah.  He  fays  the  northern  In 
dians  fo  rigidly  exact  the  feparation  of 
their  women  at  a  certain  time,  that  if 

at 


at  that  time  a  woman  only  comes  acrofs 
them  when  they  are  hunting  they  think 
it  a  bad  omen.  He  lays  that  after 
child-birth  a  northern  Indian  woman 
is  reckoned  unclean  for  a  month  or 
five  weeks  ;  during  which  time  me  al 
ways  remains  in  a  finall  tent  placed  at  a 
little  diftance  from  the  others,  with  only 
a  female  acquaintance  or  two."  Page  93. 
—  By  the  Molaic  law  a  woman  who 
bore  a  child,  was  to  be  unclean,  and  fe- 
parated  many  days.  —  Leviticus,  chap. 


Mr.  Hearnefays  "among  the  various 
fuperftitious  cuftoms  of  thole  people  (the 
northern  Indians)  it  is  worthy  remark 
ing,  and  ought  to  have  been  mentioned 
in  its  proper  place,  that  after  my  com 
panions  had  killed  the  Efquimaux  at 
the  Copper  River,  they  confidered 
themfelves  in  a  ftate  of  uncleannefs, 
which  induced  them  to  pradtife  fome 
very  curious  and  unufual  ceremonies. 
In  the  firft  place  all  who  were  concern 
ed  in  the  murder  were  prohibited  from 
cooking  any  kind  of  victuals,  either  for 
themfelves  or  others."  Page  205. 

We 


i6 


We  read  in  the  Prophet  Haggai  "  If 
one  that  is  unclean  by  a  dead  body 
touch  any  of  (bread  or  pottage,  or 
wine,  or  oil,  or  any  pieat)  fhall  it  be 
unclean  ?  And  the  Priefts  anfwered  and 
faid,  it  fhall  be  unclean/'  Haggai  ii ; 
12,  13. 

Mr.  ITearnefays  "  They  refrained  alfo 
from  eating  many  parts  of  the  deer,  and 
other  animals,  particularly  the  head,  en 
trails  and  blood ;  and  during  their  un- 
cleannefs,  their  victuals  are  never  fodden 
in  water,  but  dried  in  the  fun,  eaten  quite 
?aw,  or  broiled  when  a  fire  fit  for  the 
purpofe  could  be  procured."  Page  206* 
<r— -  It  is  faid  in  the  firft  of  Samuel  "  Al* 
fo  before  they  burnt  the  fat,  the  Prieft's 
fervant  came,  and  faid  to  the  man  that 
facrificed,  give  flefh  to  roaft  for  the 
Prieft;  for  he  will  net  have  fodden 
flefh  of  thee,  but  raw/'  2 ;  15. 

Charlevoix  fays  of  the  Huron  s  and 
Iroquois  Indians,  "  the  hufband  when 
the  wife  happens  to  die  firft,  is  obliged 
to  marry  her  fifter,  or  in  default  of  her, 
fuch  perfon  as  the  family  of  the  decea- 
fed  fhall  chufe  for  him.-— The  wife  on 

her 


'7 

her  part  is  under  the  fame  obligation 
with  refpedt  to  the  hufband's  relations, 
provided  he  dies  without  leaving  any 
children  by  her,  and  that  me  is  ftili  ca 
pable  of  bearing  any.  The  reafons  they 
alledge  for  this  are  the  fame  as  exprefled 
in  the  25th  chapter  of  Deuteronomy/' 
Vol.  2.  Pages  48  and  49. 

Charlevoix  in  his  letters  relative  to 
North  America,  fays  "  The  notion  of 
an  univerfal  deluge  is  very  general 
among  the  Americans,"  meaning  the 
Indians:  Vol.  2,  page  144.  He  fays  the 
Indians  have  an  avenger  of  blood,  like 
the  ancient  jews  ;  which  is  alfo  afierted 
by  Mr.  Adairand  many  others.  An  offi 
cer  of  rank  in  the  American  army  told 
me  the  following  ftory.  He  faid  he 
was  once  at  Pittfburg,  where  he  faw  a 
party  of  Indians.  Upon  the  arrival  of 
another  party  of  Indians  in  the  town,  one 
in  the  first  party  trembled,  and  shewed 
great  figns  of  uneafinefs.  It  was  foon 
known  that  this  agitation  was  occafion- 
ed  by  the  appearance  of  an  Indian  in 
the  fecond  party,  whofe  relation  he  had 
murdered.  He  furrendered  himfelf 
without  refiftance  to  the  demands  of 
B  2  juftice 


i8 


juftice.  He  was  led  to  a  ftable  and 
placed  upon  the  ground  between  two 
Indians.  His  head  was  in  this  fituation 
declined,  when  the  Indian  whofe  kinf- 
man  he  had  murdered,  that  avenger  of 
blood,  came  into  the  ftable  with  a  con- 
fiderable  body  of  Indians,  and  putting 
his  tomahawk  into  the  head  of  the 
murderer  with  a  yell,  afterwards  fcalp- 
ed  it. 

I  think  that  fcalping  may  have  been 
pradifed  by  the  Jews,  from  an  expref- 
lion  in  the  68th  Pfalm.  "  God  fhall 
wound  the  head  of  his  enemies,  and  the 
hairy  fcalp  of  fuch  an  one  as  goeth  on 
ftill  in  his  trefpafles."  ver.  21.  *  By 
this  I  iuppofe  to  be  meant,  that  the  Al 
mighty  would  do  it  by  the  Jews  the 
inftruments  of  his  vengeance. 

The  fine  expreffion  of  which  the  In 
dians 

*  I  am  aware  of  another  citjlam  that  was  ufed  by  the 
Jews  upon  the  body  of  an  enemy,  (i  Samuel,  18;  27) 
But  t  think  that  icalping  might  alfo  have  been  prafti- 
fed  fometimes. — A  perfon  of  information,  whofe  ap 
pointments  led  him  to  be  frequently  in  the  country  of 
the  Indians,  told  me,  that  the  other  cujiom  is  fometimes 
praftifed  by  the  Indians,  and  that  he  has  known  them, 
in  imitation  of  the  Jews,  to  carry  the  amputated  part 
in  triumph. 


dians  are  fond  that  "  the  Great  Spirit 
loves  a  brave  man''  may  have  come  from 
the  Jews,  whofe  Prophets  reprefent  the 
Almighty  as  being  delighted  with  the 
exertion  of  valor  in  his  caufc.  We  know 
it  to  be  intimated  in  fcripture,  that  the 
courage  of  David  in  treading  down  the 
idolatrous  and  wicked  nations  around 
him,  was  a  great  caufe  of  his  being  rai- 
fed  to  the  throne  of  Ifrael,  and  called 
"  the  man  after  God's  own  heart." 

The  author  of  an  Eflay,  entitled, 
"  Some  Conjectures  refpeding  the  firfl 
peopling  of  America,"  in  Carey's  Mufe- 
um  for  December  1791,  vol.  2,  page 
262,  fays  "  Dr.  Jonathan  Edwards, 
fome  time  ago,  communicated  to  the 
Society  of  Arts  in  Connecticut,  fome 
ingenious  obfervations  on  the  language 
of  Muhhekaneew  Indians ;  fhewing  the 
extent  of  that  language  in  North  Ameri 
ca,  tracing  the  connection  thereof  with 
the  Hebrew.  Indeed  it  is  no  fmall  proof 
of  their  Jewifh  defcent,  that  the  Mohe- 
gan  language  fo  nearly  coincides  with  the 
Hebrew  in  the  pronouns  and  perfons, 
the  prefixes  and  fuffixes,  in  which  it  dif 
fers 


fers  from  all  the  ancient  and  modern 
languages  in  Europe. 

Some  cuftoms  feem  alfo  well  authen 
ticated  among  fome  Indians  that  appear 
to  be  remains  of  the  Jewifh  religion,  as 
roafting  a  fawn,  and  eating  it  with  blan 
kets  girded  around  them,  and  carefully 
not  breaking  a  bone  of  it  through  religi 
ous  devotion  -r  which  feems  clearly  to 
be  the  Hebrew  Paflbver,  though  they 
cannot  explain  it,  but  fay  "  their  forefa 
thers  did  ib,  and  all  good  Indians  ought 
to  do  fo."  Some  of  them  alfo  report 
that  their  forefathers  had  books  to  read. 
Another  cuftom,  in  which  they  refem- 
ble  the  Jews  is,  "  that  they  have  women 
mourners  for  the  dead,  &c." 

Some  have  fuppofed  too  many  diffi 
culties  a-bout  the  converiion  of  the  In 
dians.  The  Moravians  have  frequently 
had  great  fuccefs  in  this  matter.  It  is 
mentioned  in  Morfe's  Geography  of  the 
Moravians,  "  They  began  a  miffion 
among  the  Mahikan,  Wampano,  De 
laware,  Shawanoc,  Nantikok,  and  o- 
ther  Indians,  about  fifty  years  ago,  and 
were  fo  fuccefsful  as  to  add  more  than 

one 


21 


one  thoufand  fouls  to  the  Chriftian 
Church  by  Baptifm.  Six  hundred  of 
thofe  have  died  in  the  Chriftian  faith ; 
about  300  live  with  the  miffionaries 
near  Lake  Erie,  and  the  reft  are  either 
dead  or  apoftates  in  the  wildernefs." 
Vol.  i.  Page  483.  Edition  of  1793- 

A  letter  dated  April  2 5th  1799,  fays, 
"  two  hundred  miles  North-weft  of 
Hartford  (Connecticut)  on  the  borders 
of  the  Indian  nations,  I  am  informed 
the  Lord  is  pouring  out  his  fpirit  plen 
tifully.  The  aborigines  flock  to  hear 
the  gofpel,  and  fall  under  the  Word 
like  Dagon  before  the  Ark.  Very  large 
numbers  have  been  added  to  the  church 
es  in  the  vicinity  the  laft  year." 

In  the  ftate  of  Maflachufetts,  the 
Prefbyterians  have  converted  many  of 
the  Stockbridge  Indians,  one  of  whom, 
called  the  Rev.  Mr.  Occum,  I  heard 
preach  to  a  large  congregation  in  one 
of  the  Preibyterian  meeting-houfes  in 
Philadelphia. 

Mr.  Bartram  in  his  account  of  the 
Southern  Indians  makes  it  appear  very 

probable, 


22 


probable,  that  fome  of  them  might  be 
eafily  converted.  He  fays,  "  On  the 
Sabbath  day  before  I  fat  off*  I  could  not 
help  obferving  the  folemnity  of  the 
town,  the  filence  and  retirednefc  of  the 
red  inhabitants  :  but  a  very  few  of  them 
were  to  be  feen ;  the  doors  of  their 
dwellings  were  fhut,  and  if  a  child 
chanced  to  ftray  out,  it  was  quickly 
drawn  in  again.  I  afked  the  meaning 
of  this,  and  was  immediately  anfwered, 
that  it  being  the  white  people's  belo 
ved  day,  they  kept  it  religioufly  iacred 
to  the  Great  Spirit."See  Bartram's  Tra 
vels  through  North  and  South  Carolina,, 
Georgia,  Eaft  and  Weft  Florida.  Page 
457. — He  fays  of  the  Creek  Indians, 
"  They  are  juft,  honeft,  liberal,  and 
holpitable  to  ftrangers ;  coniiderate,  lo 
ving  and  affectionate  to  their  wives  and 
relations;  induftrious,  frugal,  tempe 
rate  and  perfeveringj  charitable  and 
forbearing.1'  Page  490. 

I  once  had  an  opportunity  of  feeing 
the  King  of  the  Chodtaws,  who  told 
me,  that  his  people  were  defirous  of 
imitating  the  white  people  in  the  build 
ing  of  their  houfes  and  in  every  thing. 

He 


He  appeared  a  fenfible  old  man  of  no 
bad  difpofition.  I  frequently  converfed 
with  him,  and  fuppofed  I  had  gained  in 
fome  meafure  his  efteem.  The  firft  origin 
of  this  I  conceive  to  have  happened  from 
this  circumftance.  When  I  was  once 
fitting  at  breakfaft  this  Indian  came  into 
the  room.  Some  of  the  company  were 
inclined  to  laugh  which  I  thought  dif- 
pleafed  him.  I  gravely  brought  him  a 
chair,  and  procured  the  breakfaft  which 
he  wifhed  to  be  fet  beiide  him.  Before 
he  touched  the  breakfaft,  he  rofe  up, 
and  with  uplifted  hands  and  eyes,  while 
he  fpread  himfelf  over  the  table,  faid  a 
fhort  grace.  He  did  this,  which  I  fup 
pofed  to  be  giving  thanks  to  the  Great 
Spirit,  in  a  becoming,  folemn,  and  af 
fecting  manner.  Some  were  near  laugh 
ing  at  this,  to  which  no  prudent  per  foil 
could  have  felt  the  leaft  inclination. 
From  this  time  our  acquaintance  in- 
creafed,  and  we  always  (hook  hands 
when  we  met  with  a  cordiality  which  is 
feldom  found  in  the  world.  I  think  the 
not  laughing  at  the  Indians,  is  one  of 
the  beft  methods  to  engage  their  efteem. 
Thofe  who  are  better  acquainted  with 
them  than  I,  are  of  this  opinion.  And 

it 


it  is  certain  that  many  of  them  diflike 
to  laugh  at,  or  in  any  manner  to  ridicule 
the  white  people.  This  turn  for  ridi 
cule  prevails  frequently  in  the  worft 
perfons,  and  in  thofe  who  are  moft 
worthy  of  ridicule  themfelves.  The 
wife  and  good  ihould  be  cautious  of 
ufing  ridicule.  It  fometimes  imbitters 
the  mind  more  than  the  worft  inju 
ries, 

I  remember  a  circumftancc  which 
gave  me  a  favourable  opinion  of  this 
Indian.  To  divert  him,  we  had  procu 
red  a  fhew-box  (fuch  as  is  frequently 
carried  about  in  England  to  divert  per 
fons  for  a  penny)  with  the  pictures  of 
Richmond-Hill,  the  Thuilleries,  Porto 
Bello,  &c.  feen  through  a  magnifying 
glafs.  I  had  {hewn  him  feveral  of  the 
pictures,  about  twenty  I  think,  when 
coming  from  behind  the  box,  and  ma 
king  a  very  civil  bow,  he  faid  that  juftice 
muji  be  done,  and  began  deliberately  to 
count  the  pictures,  the  fight  of  which  he 
faid  mu ft  be  returned,  piffure  for  pic 
ture.  The  throne  of  the  Cho6laws  had 
not  taken  away  a  common  feeling  to 
wards  others  from  his  mind.— He  was 

generally 


generally  fuppofed  able  to  bring  ten 
thoufand  fighting  men  into  the  field; 
but  General  Wafhington,  whofe  infor 
mation  was  probably  accurate  in  thefe 
matters,  faid,  that  he  could  only  bring 
about  five  thoufand.  It  would  be  worth 
while  to  thofe,  who  wifh  to  propagate 
the  gofpel  among  the  fouthern  Indians, 
to  be  particularly  attentive  to  this 
Chief,  if  he  be  yet  living,  or  if  he  be 
dead,  to  the  tribe  or  nation  of  the  Choc- 
taws  ;  for  I  remember  particularly  well 
his  telling  me,  that  his  people  were  ve 
ry  defirous  of  imitating  the  white  peo 
ple.  Hefpoke  a  broken  language,  con- 
lifting  of  bad  Englifli  and  bad  French, 
to  me  and  the  people  in  Philadelphia  -, 
a  language,  however,  which  I  could 
fometimes  very  well  underftand. 

The  Jews  fcattered  through  the 
world  are  generally  of  opinion,  that 
fome  of  the  Indians  are  the  defcendants 
of  the  Ten  Tribes. 

It  might  have  a  happy  effect  upon 

the  Indians,  if  a  miflionary  who  un- 

derftood  their  language,  or  through  the 

medium  of  an  interpreter,   were  to  ex- 

C  cite 


cite  their  curiofity  and  admiration  by 
telling  them,  that  they  were  defcended 
from  the  greateft  people  on  earth,  from 
the  favourite  nation  of  the  Almighty, 
He  might  tell  them  of  the  wonderful 
deliverance  of  their  forefathers  from  the 
tyranny  of  Pharoah',  when  the  Great 
Spirit  himfelf  defcended  upon  Mount 
Sinai,  and  gave  the  ten  commandments, 
which  were  "  written  with  the  finger 
of  God."  The  miffionary  might  tell 
them  of  their  forefathers,  in  the  words 
of  the  Apoftle,  that  "  By  faith  they 
palled  through  the  Red  Sea  as  by  dry 
land;  which  the  Egyptians  allaying  to 
do  were  drowned.  By  faith  the  walls  of 
Jericho  fell  down  after  they  were  com- 
palied  about  feven  days.  By  faith  the  har 
lot  Rahab  perilhed  not  with  them  that 
believed  not,  when  ihe  had  received  the 
fpies  with  peace.  And  what  mail  I 
more  fay  ?  For  the  time  would  fail  me 
to  tell  of  Gideon,  and  of  Barak,  and  of 
Sampfon,  and  of  Jepthci,  of  David  alfo 
and  Samuel,  and  of  the  Prophets: 
who  through  faith  fubdued  kingdoms, 
wrought  rightecufnefs,  obtained  pro- 
mifes,  flopped  the  mouths  of  lions, 
quenched  the  violence  of  fire,  efca- 

ped 


ped  the  edge  of  the  fword,  out  of 
weaknefs  were  made  ftrong,  waxed  va 
lient  in  fight,  turned  to  flight  the  ar 
mies  of  the  aliens."  Hebrews,  xi ; 
29-34. 

The  miffionary  might  then  mention 
the  prophecies  relative  to  the  Great 
Saviour  of  the  world;  the  promifed 
Meffiah  of  the  Jews,  with  the  exact  ful 
filment  of  thofe  prophecies ;  and  then 
expatiate  upon  thejuft  and  benevolent 
precepts  of  the  gofpel. 

It  would  be  a  moit  happy  circum- 
ftance  for  themfelves  and  for  others,  if 
the  Indians  could  be  ever  perfuaded  to 
relinquish  their  horrid  cuftom  of  tor 
ture.  It  is  this  which  has  inflamed 
fome  to  wifli  for  their  utter  extirpation. 
It  would  be  a  great  point  gained  by 
thofe  who  have  an  opportunity  of  con 
verting  with  the  Indians,  if  they  could 
only  reform  them  from  this  cuftom,  in 
dependently  of  the  converfion  to  Chrif- 
tianity.  Torture  cannot  be  juftified 
upon  the  old  Jewifli  principle  of  juft 
revenge,  for  that  only  required  an  eye 
for  an  eye,  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth, 

whereas 


whereas  torture  exceeds  the  demands 
of  j  uft  ice. 

It  is  probable  when  the  time  arrives; 
foretold  by  the  prophets,  that  the  Jews 
will  be  gathered  from  their  difperfiori 
among  all  nations,  many  of  the  Indians 
will  pafs  over  at  Beering's  or  Cook's" 
Straits,  into  Afia.  It  is  faid  of  the 
Almighty  by  the  prophet,  "  For  lo  I 
will  command,  and  I  will  fift  the  houfii 
ef  Ifrael  like  as  corn  is  fifted  in  a  fieve, 
.yet  fhall  not  the  leaft  grain  fall  upon 
the  earth."  Ames,  ixj  9. — And  liaiah 
fays  "  I  will  bring  thy  feed  from  the 
Efcft,  and  gather  thee  from  the  Weft.  I 
\vill  fay  to  the  North  give  up ;  and  to 
the  South  keep  not  back;  bring  my 
fons  from  far,  and  my  daughters  from 
the  ends  of  the  earth,"  xliii;  5  and  6. 

Thefe  prophecies  fhould  induce  the 
-whole  people  of  America  to  treat  the 
Indians  with  as  much  lenity  and  for 
bearance  as  poflible.  We  reafon  from 
"  the  fare  word  of  prophecy,"  accor 
ding  to  the  expreffion  of  the  Apoftle, 
when  we  fay,  that  all  the  defcendants 
of  the  houfe  of  Ifrael,  among  which 

are 


29 

are  many  Indians,  will  be  reftored  to 
the  land  of  their  forefathers.  This  will 
probably  happen  about  the  conclufion 
of  the  prefent  century,  fomewhere  near 
the  year  1900.  Many  of  the  Indians 
will  then  relinquish  their  land  to  the 
white  people.  Upon  the  reftoration  of 
the  Jews  it  is  faid,  that  the  land  of  their 
forefathers  will  be  too  fmall  to  contain 
them  and  that  they  will  wifh  its  borders 
to  be  enlarged.  "  For  thy  wafte  and 
thy  defolate  places,  and  the  land  of  thy 
deftrudtion,  /hall  even  now  be  too 
narrow  by  reafon  of  thy  inhabitants." 
Ifaiah,  xlix;  19. 

We  may  conclude  with  certainty 
from  the  prophets  that  the  reftoration  of 
the  Jews  will  be  literal  as  well  as  fpi- 
ritual.  Mofes  fays,  that  when  the  Jews 
"  return  unto  the  Lord"  he  will  bring 
them  "  into  the  land  which  their  fa 
thers  poiieiled,  and  they  (hall  pofiefs 
it."  Deuteronomy,  chap.  3Oth.  The 
land  of  their  forefathers  can  never  be 
taken  in  a  fpiritual  fenfe,  but  muft  lite 
rally  mean  the  land  of  Ifrael, 

C2  Mr. 


3° 

Mr.  Jofeph  Mede  fuppofed  from  the 
obftinacy  of  the  Jews,  in  refifting  for 
fo  great  a  length  of  time  every  argument 
which  mankind  could  urge  in  favour  of 
Chriftianity,  that  fupernatural  means 
would  be  neceffary  to  prevail  with  the 
great  body  of  them -,  that  they  would  be 
converted  like  Paul  by  viiions  from 
Heaven.  Some  may  be  converted  in 
this  way,  but  others  may  be  converted 
by  reading  the  New  Teftament,  or 
other  treatifes  in  favor  of  the  gofpel. 
We  know  that  fome  have  been  convert 
ed  by  reading  the  New  Teftament  (fee 
for  this  among  various  inftances,  an  ac 
count  of  a  pamphlet  in  favour  of  Chrif 
tianity  by  a  converted  Jew,  in  the  Gen 
tleman's  Magazine  for  the  year  1750) 
and  therefore  it  is  fair  to  conclude,  that 
others  will  be  converted  by  the  fame 
means. ---We  fhould  not  be  difccura- 
ged  from  any  mild  and  prudent  at 
tempts  to  prevail  upon  the  Jews  to  em 
brace  Chriftianity.  But  I  think  that 
little  can  be  gained  in  perfonal  difputes 
with  them,  efpecially  before  many  per- 
fons,  where  they  may  think  them- 
felves  infulted  by  what  is  faidby  the  ad 
vocates  of  Chriftianity,  and  upon  the 

whole 


3* 

whole  may  be  rather  irritated  than  in* 
ftructed.  The  leaving  them  unmo- 
lefted,  or  giving  them  the  lame  po 
litical  privileges  with  Chriftians,  may 
have  a  great  influence  over  their 
minds.  Toleration  difarms  them  of 
that  indignation  which  they  formerly 
profefled  againft  Chriftians,  and  may 
difpofe  them  to  the  acknowledgment 
of  the  gofpel,  which  is  the  true  law 
of  God. 

Upon  the  converfion  of  the  Jews  to 
Chriftianity,  which  will  probably  hap-, 
pen  before  a  very  great  length  of  time, 
the  Gentiles  will  be  generally  converted. 
St.  Paul  fays  of  the  Jews,  "  Now  if  the 
fall  of  them  be  the  riches  of  the  world, 
and  the  diminiihing  of  them  be  the 
riches  of  the  Gentiles,  how  much  more 
their  fulnefs."  Romans;  xi;  12. 

In  Africa  the  flave  trade  fhould  be 
abolifhcd  to  forward  the  propagation  of 
thegofpel.  The  moft  effectual  method 
of  abolishing  the  flave-trade,  feems  to  be 
by  making  fettlements  fimilaj-  to  that  of 
Sierra  Leone,  upon  the  coaft  of  Africa. 
By  fuch  fettlements  the  Britifh  nation 

will 


will  obtain  the  glory  of  aboliihing  the 
Have-trade,  not  only  for  herfelf,  but  for 
all  the  world,  a  circumftance  that  would 
bring  down  innumerable  bleffings  upon 
Great  Britain.  I  would  very  particular 
ly  recommend  the  Reader  to  a  valuable 
work  entitled  "  Subftanceof  the  Report 
delivered  by  the  Court  of  Directors  to 
the  Sierra  Leone  Company  to  the  Ge 
neral  Court  of  Proprietors  on  Thurfday, 
March  27 th  1794"  and  the  fubfequent 
publications  from  this  quarter.— It  ap 
pears  by  this  report,  that  the  directors 
have  entered  upon  what  is  obvious  to  be 
the  moft  effectual  mean  for  promoting 
the  civilization  and  converfion  of  Africa 
to  the  Chriftian  faith,  the  attempt  to 
gain  over  the  principal  Kings  or  Chiefs 
to  thefe  great  deiigns.  Some  of  the  fons 
of  the  African  Chiefs  have  been  educa 
ted  in  the  Company's  fchools ;  and 
Naimbanna,  the  fon  of  the  King  of  Si 
erra  Leone,  was  fent  to  England  to  be 
educated  at  the  Company's  expence. 
His  untimely  death  was  much  to  be  la 
mented,  as  he  prcmifed  from  his  talents 
and  virtues  to  be  an  honor  to  his  coun 
try.  He  had  a  well  directed  zeal  to 
abolifli  the  ilave-trade,  and  to  fpread 

the 


33 

the  gofpel,   wherever  he  could,  in  A- 
frica. 

The  fon  of  a  fucceeding  king  of  Sier 
ra  Leone,  with  the  fon  of  a  neighbour 
ing  chief,  were  foon  afterwards  fent  to 
be  educated  in  England. 

It  has  been  fuppofed  that  the  pro-* 
grefs  of  the  colony  of  Sierra  Leone  was 
flopped  by  the  attack  of  the  French  in 
1794.  The  injury  committed  was  not 
permanent,  and  the  colony  is  now  in 
a  very  flourishing  condition.  A  Newf- 
paper  is  printed  every  fortnight  at  the 
capital,  which  paper  bears  the  motto  of 
Vox  in  Eremis,  "  a  Voice  in  the  De- 
fart."  They  have  a  Governor  and  Coun 
cil,  a  Fort,  a  Mayor  and  Aldermen, 
with  places  for  religious  worfhip,  a$ 
well  as  fchools  for  education. — VefTels 
from  many  parts  of  the  world  continu 
ally  trade  at  Sierra  Leone  for  dye- 
woods,  gold-duft,  ivory,  and  other  ar 
ticles.  It  has  a  fituation  particularly 
advantageous  for  trade,  not  only  by  fea, 
but  by  land.  It  appears  by  the  intereft- 
ing  work  entitled  "  Proceedings  of  the 
Aflbciation  for  promoting  the  difcovery 

of 


34 

of-  the  interior  parts  of  Africa,"  that 
there  are  more  than  one  hundred  milli 
ons  of  people  in  the  lately  difcovered 
parts  of  Africa,  with  whom  in  time  it 
might  be  convenient  to  trade  from  Sier 
ra  Leone. — It  is  faid  in  page  205  of  the 
above  mentioned  work  "  But  if  on  the 
fyftem  of  the  Moors,  the  effedt  of  which 
has  been  tried  too  long  for  its  wifdom 
to  be  difputed,  aflbciations  of  Englifli- 
men  fhould  form  caravans,  and  take 
their  departure  from  the  higheft  naviga 
ble  reaches  of  the  Gambia,  or  from  the 
fettlement  which  is  lately  eitabiifhed  at 
Sierra  Leone,  there  is  reafon  to  believe 
that  countries  new  to  the  fabrics  of 
England,  and  inhabited  by  more  than  a 
hundred  millions  of  people,  would  be 
gradually  opened  to  her  trade.'"  It  is  laid 
that  in  the  fingle  empire  of  Cafhna  (or 
Kaffina  according  to  Major  Renriel  the 
celebrated  Geographer)  there  are  a  thou- 
fand  flourishing  towns  and  villages,  and 
that  the  Empire  of  Bornou  is  ftill  more 
populous. — The  Sultan  of  Bornou  is 
laid  td  be  a  much  more  powerful  mo 
narch  than  the  Emperor  of  Morocco. 
The  colony  of  Sierra  Leone  has  already 
carried  on  a  trade  with -the  country  of 

the 


35 

the  Pholeys  or  Foulahs,  which  lies 
contiguous  to  the  fettlement.  What 
benefits  would  enfue,  what  joy  would 
it  caufe  in  Heaven  and  Earth,  if  the 
commerce  for  (laves  was  relinquifhed, 
and  an  honourable  commerce  adopted 
for  the  other  productions  of  Africa ! 

It  might  be  a  judicious  fcheme  to 
have  a  bookfeliers*  fhop  at  Sierra  Leone, 
well  fopplied  with  Arabic  Bibles,  to 
fell  at  a  low  rate  to  the  Pholeys ;  and 
in  time  they  might  be  difperfed  over  a 
vaft  part  of  Africa.  Moore,  in  his 
travels  into  the  inland  parts  of  Africa, 
lays  of  the  River  Gambia  "  In  every 
kingdom  and  country  on  each  fide  of 
the  river,  there  are  fome  people  of  a 
tawney  colour  called  Pholeys,  much 
like  the  Arabs,  which  language  they 
moft  of  them  fpeak,  being  to  them  as 
the  Latin  is  in  Europe ;  for  it  is  taught 
in  fchools,  and  their  law  the  Alcoran, 
is  in  that  language.  They  are  more 
generally  learned  in  the  Arabic,  than 
the  people  of  Europe  are  in  Latin,  for 
they  can  moft  of  them  fpeak  it,  though 
they  have  a  vulgar  tongue  befides,  cal 
led  Pholey.J>  Page  21. 

la 


In  the  Gentleman's  Magazine  for 
May  1799,  page  369,  we  find  "  Pro- 
pofals  for  printing  a  new  edition  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures  in  Arabic,  by  J.  D. 
Carlyfle,  B.  D.  Chancellor  of  the  Dio- 
cefe  of  Carlifle,  and  Profeffor  of  Arabic 
in  the  Univerfity  of  Cambridge." 

The  Profeffor  of  Arabic  very  fenfibly 
fays,  "  It  having  been  fuggefted  that 
an  Arabic  edition  of  the  Scriptures 
might  tend  very  coniiderably  at  the  pre- 
fent  moment,  towards  the  advancement 
of  Chriftianity,  both  in  Afia  and  Af 
rica,  the  author  of  the  prefent  propo- 
fals  has  endeavoured  to  throw  together 
fuch  information  as  he  has  been  able  to 
collecl:  upon  the  fubject,  in  order  to  af- 
certain  how  far  the  undertaking  be  like 
ly  to  be  productive  of  real  utility." 

Wherever  Mahomedanifni  has  gain 
ed  a  footing,  the  Arabic  language,  we 
know  is  in  forne  meafure  underftood ; 
but  it  is  only  from  the  recent  difco- 
veries  of  the  Sierra  Leone  Company, 
and  ftill  more  from  thofe  of  Meffrs. 
Park  and  Brown,  that  we  are  become 

acquainted 


37 

acquainted  with  the  degree  to  which  this 
language  prevails  in  the  interior  parts  of 
Africa. 

The  former  of  thefe  gentlemen  pene 
trated  from  the  weft  eaft wards  to  about 
one  degree  weft  longitude,  but  he  had 
intercourfe  with  many  traders,  who 
came  from  a  diftance  of  fix  weeks  jour 
ney,  ftill  further  from  the  eaft.  The 
latter  of  thefe  gentlemen,  proceeding  in 
a  contrary  direction,  having  entered 
Africa  on  the  fide  of  Egypt,  advanced  to 
about  the  twenty-feventh  degree  of  eaft 
longitude,  but  law  feveral  perfons  who 
carne  from  a  diftance  of  fifty  or  fixty 
days  journey  from  the  weft.  They  both 
travelled  nearly  upon  the  fame  parallel 
of  latitude;  that  is  to  fay  within  the 
twelfth  and  fifteenth  degree  north.  A 
very  fmall  intermediate  diftrict  therefore 
only  remains  (meaning  in  North  Africa 
I JiippofeJ  concerning  which  we  have 
not  fatisfactory  information,  either  from 
the  perlbnal  knowledge  of  thefe  gentle 
men  of  themfelves,  or  from  credible 
accounts  received  by  them  on  the  fpot 
from  other  travellers.  Through  all 
this  vaft  diftricT:  it  ieems  clear  that  the 
D  Arabic 


Arabic  tongue  is  well  known.  On  the 
fcaftern  fide  of  the  continent,  Mr.  Brown 
'does  not  conceive,  that  the  knowledge 
£>f  this  language  extends  farther  to  the 
fouth,  than  about  twelve  degrees  north 
latitude  ^  from  thence  to  the  Medi 
terranean  it  is  almoft  univerfally  fpoken* 
Written,  and  underftood.  He  farther  in 
forms  us,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt 
but  that  he  is  perfectly  qualified  to  form 
a  competent  judgment  upon  the  fubjed:, 
(from  the  length  of  his  refidence  at  Cai 
ro,  and  from  his  accurate  acquaintance 
with  the  Arabic)  that  in  the  negro  king 
doms  which  he  vifited,  the  Arabic  lan 
guage  in  ufe  was  the  genuine  language  of 
the  Koran — a  much  purer  dialed:  than 
is  fpoken  upon  the  Mediterranean  coaft, 
or  even  at  Cairo  itfelf. 

Mr.  Park  thinks,  that  In  the  weflern 
part  of  the  continent,  the  knowledge  of 
the  Arabic  reaches  to  the  eleventh  or 
even  tenth  degree  of  north  latitude. 
He  agrees  with  feveral  of  the  travellers 
from  Sierra  Leone,  in  rep refen ting  the 
negro  inhabitants  as  having  arrived  at  a 
confiderable  degree  of  civilization.  They 
can  almoft  all  read  and  write  the  Arabic 

language 


39 

language,  in  which  they  are  regularly  in- 
ftruded,  the  poorer  fort  by  public  maf- 
ters  at  village-fchools,  the  richer  by 
private  tutors  at  their  parents'  houfes. 
The  native,  under  whofe  hofpitable  roof 
he  relided  for  feveral  months,  entertain 
ed  a  mafler  to  teach  Arabic  to  his  own 
children,  and  permitted  iixteen  others, 
the  children  of  his  poorer  neighbours, 
to  learn  at  the  iame  time. 

According  to  Mr.  Park  the  negroes 
are  proud  of  their  literature,  and  feldorn 
travel  without  a  book  flung  by  their 
fide.  Amongft  their  books  he  has  per 
ceived  the  Pentateuch,  the  Beck  of 
Pfalms,  and  the  Prophet  Ifaiah.  All 
thefe  they  prize  very  highly  j  and  fuch 
is  the  general  eagernefs  to  obtain  them, 
that  he  believed  no  articles  would  be 
more  faleable  in  Africa^  than  copies  of 
the  Scriptures  in  Arabic.  He  has  feen 
a  copy  of  the  Pentateuch  alone,  fold  at 
the  price  of  one  prime  flave,  i.  e.  about 
twenty  guineas. 

Their  manufcripts  however  were  not 
elegantly  written,  and  they  greatly  pre 
ferred  the  printed  characters,  which  he 

fliewed 


4o 

/hewed  them  in  Richardfon's  grammar, 
to  any  writing  of  their  own.  This 
grammar  many  of  them  were  extreme 
ly  folicitous  to  purchafe  j  and  he  was 
oiJered  for  it  above  three  pounds  fterling; 
he  was  at  laft  obliged  to  leave  the  book 
behind  him  as  too  valuable  a  treafure  to 
be  taken  out  of  the  country. 

Such  is  the  prefent  Situation  of  the 
moft  populous  part  of  Africa.  The  in 
habitants  have  acquired  fome  know 
ledge  of  Scripture — they  feem  defirous 
of  acquiring  more,  and  furely  it  is  a  con- 
lideration  well  worthy  attention,  that 
the  religious  knowledge  already  impart 
ed  has  not  been  by  Chriftian  but  Maho- 
medan  exertions.  The  light  however 
which  they  have  kindled  we  may  che- 
rifhand  increafe ;  the  Koran  we  fee  has 
led  on  to 'the  reception  of  the  hiftorical 
parts  of  Scripture,  with  which  indeed* 
it  is  in  various  places  intimately  connec 
ted.  The  hiftorical  books  have  intro 
duced  fome  of  the  moft  efiential  of  the 
prophetic. — Why  then  ihould  we  de- 
fpair,  that  thefe,  united  in  the  fame  vo 
lume  with  the  Gofpel,  referring  to  the 
fame  objedts  as  it  does,  interwoven  with 

every 


41  . 

every  part  of  its  texture,  may  not  be  the 
means  of  inducing  the  Africans  to  con- 
fider  the  foundation  of  Chriftianity,  and 
to  embrace  its  dodrines  ? 

From  the  above  account  of  the  ftatc 
of  Arabian  literature  in  Africa  it  is  evi 
dent,  that  many  of  the  negroes,  carried 
from  that  country  (efpecially  from  the 
interior  part  of  it)  to  our  Weft-India 
Iflands,  mud  be  capable  of  underftand- 
ing  the  Scriptures  in  Arabic.  Mr.  Park 
fays  that  the  veffel  in  which  he  returned 
contained  one  hundred  and  twenty  feven 
flaves,  moft  of  them  from  the  neigh 
bourhood  of  the  coaft,  but  foine  from 
the  interior  of  the  country,  and  that 
out  of  this  number  there  were  feven  teen 
or  eighteen  who  could  read  and  write 
Arabic,  but  the  matters  of  the  ihips  he 
added,  threw  the  books  belonging  to  the 
flaves  into  the  fea  for  fear  a  perufal  of 
them  "  fhould  make  them  fick  at 
heart."  If  we  fuppofe  the  fame  propor 
tion  of  negroes  purchafed  by  every 
Slave-merchant,  to  be  thus  educated 
(and  in  general  a  much  larger  portion 
of  the  flaves  is  fuppofed  to  be  brought 
from  the  interior,  where  the  region  of 
D  2  knowledge 


42 

knowledge  increafes)  one  *  feventh  part 
of  the  flaves  in  the  Weft  Indies  are  able 
to  read  the  Arabic  Bible  were  it  put  in 
to  their  hands  j  and  if  we  may  judge  of 
them  from  their  conduct  when  in  a  ftate 
of  freedom,  they  wrould  willingly  receive 
it  were  it  offered  them  for  their  accep 
tance." 

The  Directors  of  the  Mifiionary  Soci 
ety  of  London,  a  Society  who  deierve 
high  applaufe  for  their  noble  zeal  to 
propagate  the  Gofpel,  fay,  "  We  have 
alfo  one  young  man  now  learning  the 
Arabic  language,  with  an  exprefs  view 
to  the  interior  of  Africa,  and  who,  we 
hope,  by  means  of  a  tranflation  of  the 
Bible  into  Arabic,  to  the  printing  of 
which  we  have  fubfcribed,  may  be  the 
inftrument  of  introducing  the  Word  of 
God  into  that  long  neglected  conn- 
try." 

See  Evangelical  Magazine  for  Janu 
ary  1800.— 

It  might  be  of  vaft  advantage  to  efta- 

blifh 

*  Some  of  the  negro  ilaves  can  read  the  Arabic 
Bible,  but  probably  not  fo  many  as  a  feventh  part. 


43 

blim  in  the  courfe  of  time  a  large  Uni- 
verfity  in  the  growing  fettlement  of  Si 
erra  Leone.  It  would  be  of  great  uie 
to  teach  Arabic  in  this  Univerfity,  with 
the  various  fciences.  The  ufeful  arts 
might  be  taught  in  the  fettlement,  and 
thus  religion  with  commerce  and  the 
arts  and  fciences,  be  gradually  intro 
duced  over  a  vaft  part  of  Africa.  It  is 
faid,  that  in  the  Company's  fchools  at 
Sierra  Leone  there  were  three  hundred 
African  children,  among  whom  were 
the  fons  of  forne  of  the  [neighbour 
ing  Chiefs.— 

It  requires  great  prudence  and  ma 
nagement  in  the  propagation  of  the 
Gofpel  about  Sierra  Leone,  to  avoid  the 
oppofition  of  the  Moors .  A  miffionary, 
or  even  a  Chriftian  traveller,  fhould 
be  cautious  of  trufting  himfelf  in  their 
hands.  The  Moors  were  the  inftru- 
ments  of  the  death  of  Major  Houghton 
the  traveller,  and  probably  killed  Mr. 
Grigg  the  miffionary. — Mr.  Mungo 
Park  in  his  travels,  fays  of  a  place  called 
Deena,  in  the  kingdom  of  Ludamar, 
aiot  very  far  from  the  Senegal  river, 
•"  The  Moors  are  here  in  greater  pro 
portion 


44 


portion  to  the  negroes  than  at  Jarra. 
They  affembled  round  the  hut  of  a  ne- 
groe  were  I  lodged,  and  treated  me 
with  the  greateft  infolence,  they  hiffed, 
fhouted,  and  abufed  me,  they  even 
fpat  in  my  face  with  a  view  to  irritate 
me,  and  afford  them  a  pretext  for  feiz- 
ing  my  baggage.  But  rinding  fuch  in- 
fults  had  not  the  defired  effecl,  they 
had  recourfe  to  the  final  and  decilive 
argument  that  I  was  a  Chriftian,  and 
of  courfe,  that  my  property  was  lawful 
plunder  to  the  followers  of  Mahomet. 
They  accordingly  opened  my  bundles, 
and  robbed  me  of  every  thing  they  fan 
cied." 

In  another  place  Mr.  Park  fays, 
"  with  the  returning  day  commenced 
the  fame  round  of  infult  and  irritation ; 
the  boys  affembled  to  beat  the  hog 
(which  through  derifion  was  tied  to 
the  pofls  of  his  hut)  and  the  men  and 
women  to  plague  the  Ghriftian.  It  is 
Impoffible  for  me  to  defcribe  the  beha 
viour  of  a  people  who  ftudy  mifchief  as 
a  fcience,  and  exult  in  the  miferies  and 
misfortunes  of  their  fellow  creatures. 
It  is  fufficient  to  obferve  that  the  rude- 

nefs 


4$ 

nefs,  ferocity  and  fanaticifm,  which 
diftinguifh  the  Moors  from  the  reft  of 
mankind,  found  here  a  proper  fubjedl 
whereon  to  exercife  their  propenfities. 
I  was  a  Jl ranger  9  I  was  unprotected, 
and  I  was  a  CbrijUan^  each  of  thefe  cii> 
cumftances  is  Sufficient  to  drive  every 
fpark  of  humanity  from  the  heart  of  a 
Moor ;  but  when  all  of  them,  as  in  my 
cafe,  were  combined  in  the  fame  per- 
fon,  and  a  fufpicion  prevailed  withal, 
that  I  had  conie  as  &jpy  into  the  coun 
try,  the  reader  will  eaiily  imagine  that, 
in  fuch  a  fituation,  I  had  every  thing  to 
fear.  Anxious  however  to  conciliate 
favour,  and  if  poffible,  to  r^ord  the 
Moors  no  pretence  for  ill  treating  me, 
I  readily  complied  with  every  command 
and  patiently  bore  every  infult  j  but  ne 
ver  did  any  period  of  my  life  pafs  away 
fo  heavily;  from  funrife  to  funfet  was  I 
obliged  to  fuffer,  with  an  unruffled 
countenance,  the  infults  of  the  rudeft 
favages  on  earth." 

A  great  opportunity  immediately  of 
fers  itfelf  to  propagate  the  Gofpel  among 
the  negroes  in  Africa  who  are  Pagans  ; 
and  afterwards  thofe  may  be  brought 

over 


46 


over  to  acknowledge  its  truth  who  are 
Mahometans,  or  under  tile  controul  of 
tjie  Moors. 

Mr.  Park  fays  that  in  various  parts 
of  Africa  where  he  travelled,  there  are 
what  they  call  Singing-men,  a  fort  of 
itinerant  Minftrels  or  Poets.  Thefc 
men  have  a  great  influence  among  the 
people,  and  their  converiion  would  be  a 
confiderable  help  to  the  caufe  of  propa 
gating  the  GofpeL— "  Give  me  your 
Bards  (fays  a  judicious  obferver  of  hu^- 
man  nature)  and  I  will  rule  your  coun 
try."  Mr.,  Park  gives  a  ftriking  in- 
ftance  of  the  confequence  of  thefe  Sing*, 
ing-men,  in  the  cafe  of  an  African  King, 
who  thought  it  prudent  to  make  a  re 
treat  from  the  enemy.  He  fays  "  When 
Daify  departed  from  Joko  his  fons  re- 
fufed  to  follow  him,  alledging,  that  the 
Singing-men  would  publifh  their  dif- 
grace,  as  foon  as  it  mould  be  known, 
that  Daify  and  his  family  had  fled  from 
Joko  without  firing  a  gun."  If  a  pru 
dent  minifter  of  the  Gofpel,  who  knew 
in  imitation  of  St.  Paul  to  "  become 
all  things  to  all  men"  who  was  well 
inftrufted  in  the  Arabic  language,  were 

to 


47 

to  explain  to  thefe  Singing-men,  that 
many  of  the  ancient  Jewifh  Prophets 
were  Poets  (as  Dr.  Lowth  has  proved 
in  his  ledures  on  Hebrew  poetry)  like 
themfelves,  he  might  excite  in  their 
minds  an  ardent  defire  to  be  acquainted 
with  all  the  writings  of  the  Prophets, 
where  the  fublimeft  Poetry  is  to  be 
found,  and  in  the  end,  he  might  bring 
over  thefe  African  Bards  to  the  acknow 
ledgment  of  Chriftianity. 

Some  have  fuppofed  that  African 
miffionaries  would  be  moft  likely  to 
convert  the  Negroes.  It  would  be  as 
well,  perhaps,  to  try  African  and  white 
miflionaries.  It  is  faid  in  the  Evangeli 
cal  Magazine  for  July  1799,  which  is 
a  work  that  defer ves  greatly  to  be  en 
couraged  for  the  numerous  valuable 
things  which  it  contains  ;  it  is  a  plea- 
fing  as  well  as  an  inftrudive  publication. 
"  As  iron  iharpcneth  iron  fo  doth  a  man 
his  friend.  This  was  never  more  ftrong- 
ly  exemplified  than  in  the  happy  effects 
produced  by  the  London  Miffionary  So 
ciety.  Among  a  variety  of  attempts  to 
promote  the  knowledge  of  the  Gofpel 
of  Chrift,  a  more  noble  effort,  perhaps, 

has 


has  not  yet  been  made,  than  that  of 
which  we  have  lately  received  infor 
mation.  A  zealous  individual,  a  direc 
tor  of  that  Society  in  Scotland,  has,  at 
his  own  expence,  brought  from  Africa, 
twenty  black  boys,  from  eight  to  four 
teen  years  of  age,  and  four  girls.  They 
are  the  children  of  the  Head-men, 
from  the  vicinity  of  Sierra  Leone,  and 
were  entrufted  to  the  care  of  Governor 
Macauley  on  his  return  to  England. 
They  are  now  under  inoculation,  and 
recovering,  at  the  fmall-pox  hofpital, 
and  are  immediately  going  down  to 
their  refpectable  patron  at  Edinburgh, 
where  they  are  to  be  inftrucfted  in 
Chriftian  knowledge,  and  taught  our 
moft  ufeful  arts,  that,  after  fome  years, 
they  may  return  to  their  native  country, 
not  only  improved  themfelves,  but  ca 
pable  of  communicating  inftru&ion  to 
their  countrymen.  Reader,  reft  not  in 
barren  imitation  of  fuch  exalted  philan- 
throphy,  but  awake  to  fome  fimilar 
exertions !"  Evangelical  Magazine,  vol. 
7,  page  307. 

A  fine  opportunity  prefents  itfelf  to 
propagate  the  Gofpel  in  and  about  the 

Cape 


49 

Cape  of  Good  Hope.  A  miffionary 
fociety  eftabliihed  in  South  Africa  may 
by  degrees  enlighten  the  whole  country. 
It  is  faid  in  Scripture,  that  "  a  little 
leaven  leaveneth  the  whole  lump."  A 
fociety  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  well 
fupported  and  judicioufly  directed,  may 
be  to  South  Africa,  like  a  ftone  thrown 
into  a  lake,  whoie  circles  fpread  to  the 
extremity  of  the  lake.  At  firft  the 
country  of  the  Hottentots  may  be 
brought  over  to  acknowledge  the  name 
of  Chrift,  with  Caffraria,  and  the  Bof- 
chemen  -y  then  Monomotapa,  and  other 
countries,  with  lower  Guinea,  and  low 
er  Ethiopia. 

Dr.  Sparman,  in  the  firft  volume  of 
his  voyage  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
fays  that  a  Moravian  minifter,  George 
Smidt,  once  made  fome  progrefs  in  the 
conversion  of  the  Hottentots.  Dr. 
Sparman  thought  from  what  he  knew 
of  the  Hottentots,  that  if  proper  pains 
were  taken  with  them,  they  would  em 
brace  Chriftianity  "  with  greet  avidity." 
Dr.  Sparman  was  right  in  his  fuppofiti- 
ons.  It  appears  from  the  late  periodi 
cal  accounts  of  the  Moravian  mifiions 
E  publifhed 


5° 

published  in  London,  that  the  Mora 
vian  miffionaries  have  procured  the  e- 
reffion  x>f  a  chapel  at  Bavian's  Kloof, 
or  Cleft,  near  the  Cape,  which  will 
contain  one  thoufand  five  hundred  Hot 
tentots.  Mr.  Barrow,  late  Secretary 
to  the  Earl  of  Macartney,  who  was  the 
Governor  of  the  fettlement  of  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  in  his  "  travels  in  South 
Africa/'  which  were  published  in  Lon 
don  in  rSoT,  fays  that  the  Moravians 
at  Bavian's  Kluof  **  had  fucceeded  in 
bringing  together  into  one  fociety,  more 
than  four  hundred  Hottentots,  and  their 
numbers  are  daily  increafing."  He  fays 
the  Hottentots  4e  are  ambitious  to  ap 
pear  clean  and  neat  at  church/'  that 
"  about  half  were  dreffed  in  coarfe  print- 
ed  cottons,  and  the  other  half  in  their 
ancient  iheep-fkin  dreffes,  and  it  ap 
peared,  on  enquiry,  that  the  former  had 
been  the  firrl  who  had  been  brought 
within  the  pale  of  the  church,  a  proof 
that  their  circumstances  at  leafl  had  fuf- 
fered  nothing  from  their  change  of  life." 
Mr.  Barrow  fays  "  the  deportment  of 
the  Hottentot  congregation,  during  di 
vine  fervice,  was  truly  devout.  The 
difcourfe  delivered  by  one  of  the  fathers 

was 


was  fhqrt,  but  replete  with  good  fenfe, 
pathetic,  and  well-fuited  to  the  occafi- 
on;  tears  flowed  abundantly  from  the 
eyes  of  thofe  to  whom  it  was  particularly 
addrefled.  The  females  fung  in- a  ftyle 
that  was  plaintive  and  affecting  ;  and 
their  voices  were  in  general  fweet  and 
harmonious." 

Dr.  Vanderkemp,  a  Dutch  phyfician 
of  talents  and  information,  of  a  mild, 
but  perlevering  temper,  and  with  an  in 
vincible  zeal  to  propagate  the  Gofpel, 
iuppofed  that  he  might  be  of  great  ule 
to  the  caufe  by  going  himfelf  in  perfou 
to,  the  Cape.  lie  prevailed  on  the  mil- 
fionary  fociety  of  London  to  encourage 
a  million  to  the  fouth  of  Africa,  and  he 
with  two  other  miffionaries  arrived  at 
the  Cape  in  the  year  1799. — The  prof- 
peels  which  have  opened  feem  to  anfwer 
the  greatnefs  of  Dr.  Vanderkemp's  ex 
pectations.  In  a  letter  dated  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  May  18,  1799,  he  fays, 
"  iince  our  arrival  at  the  Cape  we  are 
blefled  from  on  high  with  fo  many 
marks  of  divine  favour  and  approbation 
on  our  attempts  and  proceedings,  that 
not  only  we  are  convinced,  but  alfo  the 

inhabitants 


52 

inhabitants  of  this  country  univerfally 
confess,  that  the  work,  in  which  we  are 
engaged,  is  of  God!  Every  one  ftrives 
to  co-operate  with  us,  and  affift  us  in 
the  execution  of  the  plan,  which  God 
himfelf  feems  to  have  formed,  and  com 
municated  to  us  through  your  inftru- 
mentality.  General  Dundas,  and  the 
Fifcal  Ryneveld,  continue  to  favour  us 
with  their  approbation  and  protection. 
Your  letter  written  in  the  name  of  the 
directors  to  the  people  of  God  in  this 
place,  was  publickly  read  from  the  pul 
pit  at  the  eftablifhed  church,  and  lent 
to  all  the  parifhes  of  this  country,  and 
in  confequence  of  it,  a  fociety  is  formed 
in  this  town,  which  has  affumed  the 
name  of  THE  SOUTH  AFRICAN  SOCI 
ETY  FOR  PROMOTING  THE  SPREAD 

OF  CHRIST'S  KINGDOM  RESIDING 
AT  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE.  The 
plan  of  this  fociety  (which  will  be  fent 
to  you  by  their  fecretary)  I  have  tranf- 
lated  into  Englifh  for  the  information  of 
General  Dundas,  who  was  pleafed  to 
accept  it  with  all  marks  of  fatisfadtion. 
This  fociety  promifes,  even  in  its  infant 
ftate,  under  the  bleffing  of  the  Lord, 
great  things.  Many  families,  being  on 

the 


S3 

the  fhore  of  Table  Bay,  in  the  Maho 
metan  manner,  have  applied  to  it  for 
information  in  the  Chriftian  religion. 
Among  the  fubfcribers  to  its  funds,  a 
Lady  has  fubfcribed  1 5,000  Dutch  guil 
ders."  See  Evangelical  Magazine,  Oc 
tober,  1799. 

Dr.  Vanderkemp  in  his  Journal  fays, 
"  Our  hearts  rejoiced,;  as  we  had  ne 
ver  before  iuch  an  abundant  fubjecl  of 
thanking  and  praifing  our  Mailer,  who 
had  opened  fuch  a  powerful  door  of 
entrance  to  the  heathen.." 

It  is  fcarcely  neceflary  to  mention  to 
thofe  who  have  known  or  read  any 
thing  about  the  Cape,  that  the  Bofche- 
men  were  formerly  held  by  the  inhabi 
tants  about  the  Cape,  in  the  moft  igno 
minious  view,  even  worfe  than  Hotten 
tots,  that  they  were  treated  with  all  the 
wanton  infolence  of  tyranny,  and  hunt 
ed  fometimes  like  wild  beafts.  It  muit 
give  pleafare  to  every,  lover  of  human 
nature  to  understand,  that  they  will  now 
be  treated  with  the  refpect  that  is  due  to 
every  creature  that  has  the  form  of  a 
man.  They,  as  well  as  the  Hottentots 
E  2  and 


54 

and  the  Negroes,  fhould  be  confidered 
by  real  Chriftians  as  their  brethren,  for 
it  is  exprefsly  faid  by  the  Apoftle,  that 
God  "  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  na 
tions  of  men,  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of 
the  earth." 

The  Bofchemen,  upon  the  arrival  of 
the  miffionaries  at  the  Cape  (as  appears 
by  their  Journal,  which  is  printed  in 
the  Evangelical  Magazine)  applied  to 
them,  to  be  inftrudied  in  the  principles 
of  the  Chriftian  religion. 

It  appears  by  an  interefting  letter 
figned  I.E.  Kicherer,  in  the  Evangeli 
cal  Magazine  for  Odober  1800,  that 
he  and  another  miffionary  are  likely  to 
make  coniiderable  progreis  among  the 
Bofchemen.  Mr.  Kicherer  fays,  "at  the 
time  the  Bofchemen  wifhed  to  be  in- 
flrucfted  in  the  knowledge  of  Chriftiani- 
ty  we  were  influenced  to  come  from  far 
countries  to  inftruct  them.  How  clear 
ly  is  the  hand  of  God  to  be  obferved  in 
this  !  Wonderful  God  how  adorable  art 
thou  in  all  thy  ways  !"  He  fays  '*  The 
government  of  this  place  promotes  in 
every  refpecl,  this  great  affair,  and  en 
deavours, 


55 

deavours,  efpecially  by  writing,  to  en 
force  upon  the  hearts  of  the  Chriftians 
the  concern  which  every  one  has  there 
in  ;  there  goes  alfo  a  requeft-boat 
amongft  them  for  a  yearly  fubfcription 
of  veflels,  corn  money,  or  what  each 
can  fpare,  on  behalf  of  thefe  Bofche- 
men." 

Dr.  Vanderkemp  in  his  writings 
from  the  Cape,  thinks  that  a  Miffion 
prudently  managed,  would,  meet  with 
confiderable  fuccefs  in  the  important 
ifland  of  Madagafcar.  He  himfelf  is 
gone  to  fettle  in  CafFraria,  at  a  con 
fiderable  diftance  from  the  Cape.  He 
has  built  a  houfe  there,  planted  a  gar 
den,  and  is  inftru&ing  the  inhabitants 
with  indefatigable  zeal. 

Dr.  Vanderkemp  very  fenfibly  ob- 
ferves,  that  there  fhould  be  a  large 
repofitory  of  miffionaries  at  the  Cape. 
Some  few  have  lately  gone  thither  ; 
but  it  is  to  be  hoped,  that  multitudes 
of  labourers  will  before  long  enter  into 
this  truly  great  and  glorious  harveft.-f' 

Africa 

t  This  was  written  when  it  was  thought  the  Britifh 
woald  keep  poffeflion  of  the  Cape,  and  it  is  Hill  to  be 


Africa  appears  to  yield  various  op 
portunities  of  propagating  the  Gofpel, 
and  of  rendering  advantage  to  mankind. 
It  is  a  country  which  deferves  our 
increaiing  attention.  The  interefling 
and  extenfive  country  of  Abyffinia  lies 
contiguous  to  thofe  newly  difcovered 
kingdoms  of  Bornou  and  Kaffina,  which 
arefuppofed  to  be  fo  extremely  populous. 
Abyffinia  is  nine  hundred  miles  long, 
and  eight  hundred  broad.  The  travels 
of  the  ingenious  and  learned  Mr.  Bruce 
in  Abyffinia  feem  in  fome  points  to  have 
been  unjuftly  decried.  Two  of  the 
moft  remarkable  men  in  the  world  for 
talents  and  learning,  the  late  Sir  Wil 
liam  Jones,  and  the  late  Dr.  Robertfon 
the  hiftorian,  were  great  admirers  of 
Mr.  Bruce.  It  appears  certain  that 
Mr.  Bruce  was  in  Abyffinia.  He  drew, 
a  bill  of  Exchange  from  there  upon 
Mr.  Drummond  the  great  Banker  near 
Charing  Crofs,  London,  which  was 
for  a  confiderable  time  in  the  hands  of 
Mr.  Drummond. — Sir  William  Jones 
knew  a  perfon  who  had  feen  Mr.  Bruce 

in 

hoped  that  thefe  pleafing  expe&ations  of  the  progrefs 
of  the  Gofpel  will  not  be  altogether  tiifappointed  when 
ij  (hall  be  fui?endered. 


57 

in  Abyffinia.  Mr.  Brown  who  has 
lately  publifhed  his  Travels  into  Africa 
and  Syria,  faw  fome  perfons  in  Egypt, 
who  teftified  in  favour  of  Mr.  Bruce's 
being  in  Abyffinia.  He  brought  over 
leveral  books  from  Abyffinia,  fome  of 
which  he  depofited  in  the  Britifh  Mu- 
feum.  Mr.  Bruce  fays,  that  the  Abyf- 
finians  have  a  very  imperfect  knowledge 
of  Chriftianity.  Their  religion  is  a 
ftrange  mixture  of  Judaifm,  Paganifm, 
and  Chriftianity.  It  is  fuppofed  in 
Abyffinia  that  the  king  is  defcended 
from  Solomon  by  the  Queen  of  Sheba 
(or  Saba)  the  Queen  of  the  South  who 
vifited  Terufale.m.  The  Motto  to  the 
Arms  of  the  King  is  "  The  Lion  of 
the  race  of  Solomon  and  tribe  of  Judah 
hath  overcome."  Mr.  Bruce  fays 
there  are  many  Jews  in  Abyffinia,.  and 
that  they  are  black  as  the  original  natives. 
The  people  of  Abyffinia  were,  for  a 
time  fo  exafperated  at  the  Popifh  mif- 
fionaries,  who  they  fuppofed  were  aim 
ing  to  introduce  a  foreign  power  into 
the  kingdom  fuperior  to  the  King's, 
that  they  ftoned  to  death  every  Roman 
Catholic  Prieft  who  entered  the  coun 
try.  One  of  their  kings  offered  a  bag 

of 


58 

of  gold  duft  for  the  head  of  every  Priefl 
that  could  be  found.  In  time  it  might 
be  no  difficult  matter,  for  a  prudent 
Minifter  of  the  Gofpel,  to  convince 
the  Abyfsinians  that  he  entertained  no 
defign  of  introducing  Popery.  It  is 
probable  alfo  that  the  cuftom  of  fuffer- 
ing  no  ftranger  to  return  from  Abyf- 
linia  (which  was  with  difficulty fetafide 
in  favour  of  Mr.  Bruce)  may  not  be  for 
ever  enforced,  as  every  jealouiy  of  the 
Papifts,  whom  they  call  Franks,  will 
in  time  be  extinguished.  The  Travels 
of  Mr.  Bruce  contain  a  great  fund  of 
true  and  curious  information,  though 
they  contain  fome  extravagant  and  mif- 
chievous  things.  His  defence  of  the 
Slave  trade  defer  ved  the  fevereft  rep  re  - 
henfion. 

Mr.  Bruce  with  a  view  to  debafe  the 
negroes,  has  in  vain  iniinuated  againft 
the  dodrine  that  colour  in  the  human 
ipecies  is  the  effect  of  climate.  Indeed 
the  facts  which  he  himfelf  has  produ 
ced,  tend  to  corroborate  the  doctrine. 
He  fays  of  the  Galla,  a  nation  of  fhep- 
herds  who  probably  lived  under  or  be 
yond  the  line,  and  were  always  emigra 
ting 


59 

ting  northwards.  "  As  under  the 
line  to  the  fouth  of  Abyfsinia,  the  land 
is  exceedingly  high,  and  the  fun  feldom 
makes  its  appearance  on  account  of  the 
continual  rains,  the  Galla  are  confe- 
quently  of  a  brown  complexion,  with 
long  black  hair.  Some  indeed,  who 
live  in  the  valleys  of  the  low  country, 
are  perfectly  black."  See  Bruce's  Tra 
vels,  vol.  3,  page  217,  quarto. — In 
another  place  he  fays,  "  The  Nareans 
of  the  high  country  are  the  lighteft  in 
colour  of  any  people  in  Abyfsinia  ;  but 
thofe  that  live  by  the  borders  of  the 
tnarflies  are  .perfect  blacks,  and  have  the 
features  and  wool  of  negroes  :  whereas 
all  thofe  in  the  high  country  of  Narea, 
and  frill  more  in  the  ftupendous  moun 
tains  of  Caffa,  are  not  fo  dark  as  Neapo 
litans  and  Sicilians.  Indeed  it  has  been 
faid,  that  fnow  has  been  feen  to  lie  on 
the  mountains  of  Caffa."  Vol.  2, 

Page  3 '3- 

The  Slave  trade  is  not  only  againft 
reafon,  humanity,  and  the  true  inte- 
refts  of  Mr.  Bruce's  country,  but 
inimical  to  the  principles  and  the  pro- 
grefs  of  the  Goipel,  which  is  the  great- 
eft 


eft  blefsing  that  was  ever  conferred  by 
the  Almighty  upon  mankind. 

Afia  is  an  important  part  of  the  world, 
which  in  future  may  be  greatly  en 
lightened,  but  at  prefent  is  almoft  all 
involved  in  fpiritual  darknefs.  It 
ieems  difficult  how  immediately  to  pro 
pagate  the  Gofpel  there  in  any  confider- 
able  manner.  The  difperfion  of  the 
Bible  in  Arabic,  might  be  the  happy 
inftrument  of  introducing  knowledge 
into  a  great  part  of  this  benighted 
quarter  of  the  globe. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Millar,  Minifter  of 
Paifley  in  Scotland,  in  the  8th  vol.  of 
his  works  (published  feveral  years  ago) 
on  the  propagation  of  the  Gofpel,  fays 
"  By  an  extract  of  feveral  letters  print 
ed  at  London,  we  have  a  Propofal  from 
England  for  printing  the  New  Tefta- 
ment  and  Pialter  in  the  Arabic  Lan 
guage,  for  the  benefit  of  poor  ChrifU- 
ans  in  Paleftine,  Syria,  Mefopotamia, 
Arabia,  and  other  eaftern  countries. 

There  are  feveral  confiderations,  of 
fered  in  thefe  letters,  to  ihevv  the  ad 
vantage 


6i 


vantage  and  neceffity  of  fo  pious  an  un 
dertaking,  which  deferve  room  here  : 
Particularly  Mr.  Solomon  Negri,  a  na 
tive  of  Damafcus,  in  Syria,  in  his  let 
ter  to  a  Member  of  the  Society  at 
London  for  promoting  Chriftian  know 
ledge,  dated  March  28,  1720,  advan 
ces  thefe  reafon-s  for  it:  "  Firft,  the 
want  of  printing-preffes  in  the  eaftern 
countries  makes  books  very  fcarce  and 
dear,  much  beyond  what  the  poor 
Chriftians  can  afford  to  purchafe  them 
at,  having  much  ado  to  pay  the  tributes 
and  impofitions  laid  on  them  by  the 
government  they  live  under,  and  to  fup- 
ply  the  common  receffaries  of  life; 
fo  that  there  are  but  very  few  in  con 
dition  to  buy  books  for  inftrudlion  and 
fpirktml  nouriflinient.  Secondly,  the 
few  printed  copies,  either  of  the  whole 
New  Teftament,  or  any  part  of  it,  are 
very  hard  to  be  got  in  thefe  parts  of  the 
world,  and  thefe  alfo  at  a  very  dear  rate. 
The  two  editions  of  Rome  have  had 
little  fuccefs,  by  reafon  of  the  cuts  and 
figures  therein,  which  the  eaftern  na 
tions  have  an  averfion  to ;  and  by  rea- 
fon  of  the  badnefs  of  the  imprefsion,  and 
raeannefs  of  the  language,,  being  even 
-F  indecent 


indecent  in  fome  places.  Thirdly,  the 
excellency  of  the  Arabic  language  is 
undoubted  in  what  light  foever  you 
pleafe  to  confider  it;  this  is  the  lan 
guage  the  Koran  is  wrote  in ;  it  extends 
to  all  thole  countries  where  the  Maho 
metan  religion  is.  profefled,  and  even 
beyond  thofe  countries,  among  many  of 
the  heathen ;  it  is  the  common  language 
of  the  greateft  part  of  Africa,  and  of  a 
considerable  part  of  Afia;  and  in  the 
Turkiih  dominions  where  it  is  not 
generally  fpoke,  it  is  neverthelefs  taught 
in  fchoois,  and  flu-died  by  men  of  let 
ters,  as  Latin  is  in  Europe,  where  alfo 
it  is  read  in  feveral  univerfities.  But 
fays  he,  "  I  will  only  mention  thofe 
countries  where  the  greateft  number  of 
Chriftians  are  fettled ;  namely,  Palef- 
tine,  Syria,  Mefopotamia,  Arabia,  and 
Egypt.  In  all  thefe  countries  there 
are  great  numbers  and  communities  of 
Chriftians,  to  whom  fuch  an  edition 
will  be  ufcful,  as  the  Arabians  of  the 
Greek  Church,  commonly  called  Me- 
lehites,  who  being  fuperior  in  numbers 
to  all  the  reft,  ought  to  be  principally 
regarded;  the  Syrians  or  Eutychians, 
the  Neftorians,  Maronites,  Armenians, 

Copts, 


63 

Copts,  and  even  a  fmall  remnant  of  the 
ancienteft  Nazarenes.  All  thefe,  though 
they  celebrate  their  liturgy  in  the  lan 
guage  ufed  by  the  refpedive  churches, 
yet  they  generally  understand,  fpeak, 
and  write  Arabic/'  He  adds,  "  the  belt 
method  would  be  to  referve  part  of  the 
edition  at  London,  and  fend  from  time 
to  time  a  number  of  copies  bound,  with 
a  fuitable  recommendation  to  the  Eng- 
lifh  Conful  at  Aleppo,  which  of  all 
cities  is  the  beft  for  difperfing  them. 
And  the  faid  Conful  with  the  afsiftance 
of  his  Chaplain,  who  will  readily 
charge  him felf  with  a  commifsion  fo 
agreeable  to  his  character,  and  fo  hono 
rable  and  glorious  to  the  Britifli  nation, 
will  give  them  to  thofe  for  whom  they 
are  defigned." 

Mr.  Millar  fays,  "  Mr.  Ayerft, 
Chaplain  to  Sir  Robert  Sutton,  late 
Ambaffador  at  the  Porte,  adds,  "  The 
Turks  will  not  hinder  fuch  a  New  Tef- 
tament  from  being  difperfed." 

It  appeared  afterwards,  that  two 
thoufand  copies  of  the  New  Teflament, 
and  four  thoufand  of  the  Pfalter,  were 

difperfed 


64 


difperfed  among  thefe  pooF  Chriftiansv 
without  any  moleftation  from  the 
Turks.  And  it  is  probable  that  the 
Turks  at  this  prefent  time,  would  be  as 
indifferent  in  regard  to  a  difperfion  of 
the  New  Tcftament  or  the  Bible  in 
Arabic^ 

The  difperfion  of  the  Bible  in  Arabic 
in  Africa  and  Alia,  might  be  an  objed: 
worthy  the  encouragement  of  the  gene 
rous  fpirit  of  the  Britiih  government.. 
A  grant  of  a  coniiderable  fum  of  money 
for  this  purpofe  might  be  productive  o£ 
the  moft  beneficial  confequcnces. 

The  profefl.br  of  Arabic  iahis  propo- 
fals  for  printing  a  new  edition  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures  in  Arabic,  which  were  pub- 
lifhed  in  the  Gentleman's  Magazine, 
fays,  "  The  fame  arguments  that  tend 
to  evince  the  utility  of  diftributing  an 
Arabic  verfion  of  the  Scriptures  among  ft 
the  Mahomedans  of  Africa,  may  be 
applied  to  difperfing  it  amongft  perfons 
of  that  perfuafion  in  India,  nay  fome 
will  apply  with  ftill  greater  force  and 
promife  frill  more  beneficial  effects ; 
fuch  as  the  fuperior  degrees  of  cultiva- 

tioii 


65 

tion  at  which  the  inhabitants  of  India 
are  arrived,  and  the  very  important  ad 
vantages  wepoffefs  (by  being  matters  of 
the  country)  towards  fecuring  an  eafy 
circulation  of  books  to  every  part  of  the 
continent. 

Nor  is  this  all :  From  the  late  remark 
able  difcoveries  of  Sir  William  Jones, 
Mr.  V/ilford,  and  others,  no  doubts 
can  be  entertained,  but  that  the  Purans, 
however  loaded  with  fable,  contain  at 
the  bottom,  the  fame  accounts  of  the 
early  hiflory  of  the  world,  as  the  books 
of  Mofes.  This  is  a  fad,  which  when 
once  rendered  evident  to  the  Hindoos, 
can  hardly  fail  to  prove  highly  in tereft- 
ing  to  them. — There  is  a  circumftance 
too  attending  the  Arabic  tranflation  of 
the  Scriptures,  that  will  peculiarly  re 
commend  it  to  the  learned  in  India, 
viz.  the  purity  of  its  language.  The 
barbarous  ftyle,  in  which  fome  eaftern 
verfions  of  the  New  Teftament  are 
written,  has  been  known  to  operate 
very  materially  againft  the  reception  ; 
but  the  Arabic  verfion  of  the  Polygott 
is  free  from  this  objection.  It  was 
cornpofed  probably  by  fbme  of  the  moil 
F  2.  learned 


66 


learned  men  of  Syria  and  Egypt,  cer 
tainly  at  a  time  when  Arabic  literature 
was  at  its  zenith ;  and  it  was  ufed  at 
Alexandria  and  Cairo,  both  by  Jews 
and  Chriftians — by  men  perfectly  ac 
quainted  with  all  the  niceties  of  the 
language,  as  a  faithful  and  elegant  re- 
prelentation  of  their  refpeclive  books  of 
faith.  It  has  obtained  the  fame  character 
amongft  the  moft  learned  Oriental! (Is  in 
Europe.  "*-f- 

There  are  many  millions  of  Hindoos 
under  the  dominion  of  the  Britifh  in  the 
Eaft  Indies,  but  it  appears  a  difficult 
matter  to  convert  them  to  Chriftianity. 
The  late  Lord  Clive,  in  a  memoir 
written  feveral  years  ago,  faid,  that  "  the 
inhabitants  in  India  who  might  be  call 
ed  Britifh  fubjecls,  amounted  to  twen 
ty  millions."  Since  this  memoir  was 
written,  there  has  been  a  great  acccflion 
of  territory  and  population  in  the  eaft, 
and  the  Britifh  inhabitants  there  are  now 
computed  to  be  thirty  millions  or  more. 

A  very 

f  The  New  Tefiament  has  lately  been  tranflated 
into  the  Rengallee  language,  bat  the  Bible  in  Arabic 
might  ftill  be  ufefol  in  India.  Some  fpecimens^  of 
thetotranflation.have  been  fcnt  ic;o  various  countries. 


67 

A  very  great  proportion  of  thefe  are  Hin 
doos.     Mr.  Orme,  fays,  that  in  Hin- 
doftan,  which    name    he  gives    to    the 
peninfula  within   the  Ganges  and   the 
main   land,    or    the  Mogul's    empire, 
there  are  one  hundred  millions  of  Hin 
doos,  and  ten  millions  of  Mahometans. 
It  is  faid  of  the  Hindoos  in  Guthrie's 
Geographical  Grammar  (almoft  in  the 
words  of  the  celebrated  hiftorian,  Mr. 
Orme)     "  Their  manners  are  gentle; 
their  happinefs  coniifts  in  the  folaces  of 
a  domefticlife;  and  they  are  taught  by 
their  religion  that  matrimony  is  an  in- 
difpenfable  duty   of  every   man,  who 
•does    not   feparate    himfelf   from    the 
world  from   a  principle    of  devotion. 
Their   religion   alib    permits   them    to 
have  feveral    wives;   but   they    feldom 
have  more  than  one;  and  it  has  been 
obferved,    that   their  wives  are  diftin- 
guilhable  by  a  decency  of  demeanour, 
a  folicitude  in  their  families,  and  a  fide 
lity   to   their   vows,  which  might    do 
honour  to  human  nature  in  the  moft 
civilized   countries/'     The    Hindoos, 
however,  are  ftill  guilty  of  the  groffeft 
idolatry,  and  ftill  praflife  the  barbarous 
cufiom  of  burning  the  living  wife  upon 

the 


68 


the  fame  pile  with  her  dead  hufband. 
There  is  a  curious  account  of  a  circum- 
ftance  of  this  nature  in  "  Travels  in  In 
dia  during  the  years  1780,  1781, 1782, 
and  1783.  By  William  Hodges,  R.  A." 
London,  printed,  quarto,  1793.  The 
account  is  fo  interefting,  that  I  hope 
my  reader  will  not  be  difpleafed  at 
its  length.  Mr.  Hodges  fays,  "  While 
I  was  purfuing  my  profeiiional  labours 
in  Benares,  I  received  information  of  a 
ceremony  v/hich  was  to  take  place  on  the 
banks  of  the  river,  and  which  greatly 
excited  my  curiofity.  I  had  often  and 
repeatedly  heard  of  that  moft  horrid 
•cuftom  amongft,  perhaps,  the  moft 
mild  and  gen  tie  of  the  human  race,  the 
Hindoos ;  the  facrifice  of  the  wife  on 
the  death  of  the  hufband,  and  that  by 
means  from  which  nature  fhrinks  with 
the  utmoft  abhorrence,  by  burning. 
Many  inilances  of  this  practice  have 
been  given  by  travellers  ;  thofe  whom  I 
have  met  with,  only  mention  it  as  taking 
place  among  the  higheft  clafles  of  fo- 
ciety,  whofe  vanity  united  with  fuper- 
ftitious  prejudices,  might  have  dictated 
the  circumftance ;  and  I  confefs  I  could 
not  entertain  any  other  ideas  when  I 

obferved 


69 

obferved  the  theatrical  parade  that  feem- 
ed  to  attend  it."  Mr.  Holwell,  in  his 
curious  work,  entitled,  Hiftorical  e^ 
vents  relative  to  India,  thus  accounts 
for  this  more  than  inhuman  practice. — 
"  At  the  demife  of  the  mortal  part  of 
the  Hindoo  great  Lawgiver  and  Pro 
phet,  Bramah,  his  wives,  inconfolable 
for  his  lofs,  refolved  not  to  furvive  him, 
and  offered  themfelves  voluntary  victims 
on  his  funeral  pile.  The  wives  of  the 
chief  Rajahs,  the  firft  officers  of  the 
ftate,  being  unwilling  to  have  it  thought 
that  they  were  deficient  in  fidelity  and 
aifedlion,  followed  the  heroic  example 
fet  them  by  the  wives  of  Bramah.  The 
Bramins,  a  tribe  then  newly  eftablifhed 
by  their  great  legiflator,  pronounced 
and  declared,  that  the  fpirits  of  thofe 
heroines  immediately  ceafed  from  their 
tranfmigrations,  and  had  entered  the 
firft  boboons  of  purification ;  it  followed; 
that  their  wives  claimed  a  right  of 
making  the  fame  facrifice  of  their  mor 
tal  forms  to  God,  and  the  manes  of 
their  deceafed  hufbands.  The  wives 
of  every  Hindoo  caught  the  enthufiaftic 
(now  pious)  flame.  Thus  the  heroic 
acts  of  a  few  women  brought  about  a 

general 


7° 

general  cuftom.  The  Bramins  had  gi 
ven  it  the  flamp  of  religion,  and  inftitu- 
ted  the  forms  and  ceremonials  that  were 
to  accompany  the  facrifice,  fubject  to 
reftridions,  which  leave  it  a  voluntary 
acl:  of  glory,  piety  and  fortitude."  The 
author  proceeds  to  ftate  exprefsly,. 
that  he  has  been  prefent  at  many  of  thefe 
facrifices,  and  particularly  and  minutely 
records  one  that  happened  on  the  4th 
of  February,  1742-3,  near  to  Cofsim- 
buzar,  of  a  young  widow  between  feven- 
teen  and  eighteen  years,  leaving  at  fo 
early  an  age  three  children,  two  boys 
nd  a  girl ;  the  eldeft,  he  mentions  as 
not  then  being  four  years  of  age.  This 
infatuated  heroine,  was  ftrongly  urged 
to  live,  for  the  future  care  of  her  in 
fants  ;  but  notwithstanding  this,  though 
the  agonies  of  death  were  painted  to  her 
in  the  ftrongeft  and  rnoft  lively  terms, 
fhe,  with  a  calm  and  refolved  counte 
nance,  put  her  finger  into  the  fire,  and 
held  it  there  a  confiderabk  time ;  me 
then  with  one  hand  put  fire  in  the  palm 
of  the  other,  fprinkled  incenfe  on  it, 
and  fumigated  the  Bramins.  She  was 
then  given  to  underftand  by  fome  of 
her  friends,  that  fhe  would  not  be  per 
mitted 


7* 

mitted  to  burn  herfelf,  and  this  intima 
tion  appeared  to  give  her  deep  affliction 
for  a  few  moments ;  after  which  fhe 
reiblutely  replied,  that  death  was  in  her 
own  power,  and  that  if  fhe  was  not  al 
lowed  to  burn  according  to  the  princi 
ples  of  her  caft,  fhe  would  ftarve  her 
felf.  Her  friends  finding  her  thus  pe 
remptory,  were  obliged  at  laft  to  con- 
lent  to  the  dreadful  facrifice  of  this 
lady  who  was  of  high  rank. 

The  perfon  whom  I  faw  was  of  the 
Bhyfe  (merchant)  tribe  or  caft ;  a  clafs 
of  people  we  fhould  naturally  fuppofe, 
exempt  from  the  high  and  impetuous 
pride  of  rank,  and  in  whom  the  natural 
defire  to  preferve  life,  fhould  in  general 
predominate,  undiverted  from  its  proper 
courfe  by  a  profpecl:  of  pofthumous 
fame.  I  may  add,  that  thefe  motives 
are  greatly  ftrengthened,  by  the  exemp 
tion  of  this  clafs  from  that  infamy,  with 
which  the  refufal  is  inevitably  branded 
in  their  fuperiors.  Upon  my  repairing 
to  the  fpot,  on  the  banks  of  the  river, 
where  the  ceremony  was  to  take  place, 
I  found  the  body  of  the  man  on  a  bier, 
and  covered  with  linen,  already  brought 

down, 


down,  and  laid  at  the  edge  of  the  river. 
At  this  time,  about  ten  in  the  morning, 
only  a  few  people  were  affembled,  who 
appeared  deftitute  of  feeling  at  the  ca- 
taftrophe  that  was  to  take  place ;  I  may 
even  fay,  that  they  difplayed  the  moft 
perfect  apathy  and  indifference.  After 
waiting  a  confiderable  time,  the  wife  ap 
peared  attended  by  the  Bramins,  and 
mufic,  with  fome  few  relations.  The 
proceffion  was  flow  and  folemn;  the 
victim  moved  with  a  fteady  and  firm 
ftep;  and  apparently  with  a  perfect 
compofure  of  countenance,  approached 
clofe  to  the  body  of  her  huiband,  where 
for  fome  time,  they  halted.  She  then 
addreffed  thofe  who  were  near  her  with 
compofure,  and  without  the  leaft  trepi 
dation  of  voice  or  change  of  counte 
nance.  She  held  in  her  left  hand  a  co 
coa-nut,  in  which  was  a  red  colour 
mixed  up,  and  dipping  in  it  the  fore 
finger  of  her  right  hand,  {he  marked 
thofe  near  her  to  whom  (he  wifhed  fo 
fhew  the  laft  act  of  attention.  As  at 
this  time  I  flood  clofe  to  her,  {he  ob- 
ferved  me  attentively,  and  with  the  co 
lour  marked  me  on  the  forehead.  She 
might  be  about  twenty-four  or  five  years 

of 


73 

of  age,  a  time  cf  life  when  the  bloom 
of  beauty  has  generally  fled  the  cheek  in 
India ;  but  flill  me  preferved  a  fufficient 
fhare  to  prove  that  me  mufl  have  been 
handfome  :  her  figure  was  fmall  but  ele 
gantly  turned;    and  the  form  of  her 
hands  and  arms  was  particularly  beauti 
ful.  Her  drefs  was  a  loofe  robe  of  white 
flowing  drapery,  that  extended  from  her 
head  to  the  feet.  The  place  of  facrifice 
was  higher  up  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
a  hundred  yards  and  more  from  the  fpot 
where  we  now  flood.     The  pile  was 
compofed  of  dried  branches,  leaves  and 
rufhes,  with  a  door  on  one  fide,  and 
arched  and  covered  on  the  top  \  by  the 
fide  of  the  door  flood  a  man  with  a 
lighted   brand.      From   the    time    the 
woman  appeared  to  the  taking  up  the 
body  to  convey  it  into  the  pile,  might 
occupy  a  fpace  of  half  an  hour,  v/hich 
was  employed  in  prayer  with  the  Bra- 
mins,  in  attention  to  thofe  who  flood 
near  her,  and  converfation  with  her  re 
lations.     When  the  body  was  taken  up 
fhe  followed  clofe  to  it,  attended  by  the 
chief  Bramin  :  and  when  it  was  depo- 
fited  in  the  pile,  fhe  bowed  to  all  around 
her,  and  entered  without  fpeakin^. — 
G  The 


74 

The  moment  fhe  entered,  the  door  was 
clofed;  the  fire  was  put  to  the  cornbuf- 
tibles,  which  inftantly  flamed,  and 
immenfe  quantities  of  dried  wood  and 
other  matters  were  thrown  upon  it. 
This  laft  part  of  the  ceremony  was  ac 
companied  with  the  (bouts  of  the  mul 
titude,  who  now  became  numerous, 
and  the  whole  feemed  a  mafs  of  confufed 
rejoicing.  For  my  part  I  felt  myfelf 
actuated  by  very  different  fentiments  : 
the  event  that  I  had  been  witnefs  to, 
was  fuch,  that  the  minuteft  circum- 
(lances  attending  it  could  not  be  erafed 
"from  my  memory;  and  when  the 
melancholy  \vhich  had  overwhelmed 
me  had  fomewhat  abated,  I  made  a 
drawing  of  the  fubjed:,  and  from  a 
picture  fince  painted  the  annexed  plate 
was  engraved. 

In  other  parts  of  India,  as  the  Car- 
natic,  this  dreadful  cuftom  is  accom 
panied  in  the  execution  of  it  with  dill 
greater  horror.  It  is  aflerted  that  they 
dig  a  pit,  in  which  is  depofited  a  large 
quantity  of  combuftible  matter  which  is 
fet  on  fire,  and  the  body  being  let  down, 
the  viftim  throws  herfelf  into  the  flam 
ing 


75 

ing  mafs.  In  other  places,  a  pile  is 
raifed  extremely  high,  and  the  body  with 
the  wife  is  placed  upon  it,  and  the 
whole  is  fet  on  fire.  Whatever  are  the 
means,  reafon  and  nature  revolt  at  the 
idea,  that,  were  it  not  a  well  known 
and  well  authenticated  circumftance,  it 
would  hardly  obtain  credit.  In  truth,  I 
cannot  but  confefs,  that  fome  degree  of 
incredulity  was  mingled  with  curioiity 
on  this  occafionj  and  the  defire  of 
afcertaining  fo  extraordinary  a  fact,  was 
my  greateft  inducement  to  bs  a  fpedta- 
tor."  Page  79—84. 

There  i§  an  affecting  inflance  of  ths 
burning  of  an  Hindoo  woman,  in 
Colonel  Campbell's  "Journey  overland 
to  India."  He  calls  it  "  an  hellifh 
facrifice."  If  the  reader  will  look  into 
an  interefting  work,  entitled  "  The 
Afiatic  Annual  Regifter,"  he  will  find 
indifputable  evidence  that  the  cuftom 
of  burning  is  (till  continued.— The 
burning  of  the  widow  in  India,  is  a 
horrible  abomination.  It  is  like  the 
impious  cuftom  of  the  Jews  in  ancient 
times,  who  "  caufed  their  fons  and 
their  daughters  to  pafs  through  the  fire 
urtio  Molech."  Among 


76 

Among  the  various  other  circumftan- 
ces  which  need  reformation  among  the 
Hindoos,  or  Gentoos,  we  may  mention 
the  manner  in  which  their  fourth  tribe, 
that  of  Sudder  (or  Soodra)  is  treated. 
They  are  held  in  fo  debafed  a  view  that 
their  touch  of  a  fuperior  is  thought  a 
pollution  worthy  of  death. —I  am  no 
Democrat,  no  contender  for  the  wild 
and  mifchievous  dodbrine,  that  all  men 
are  equal;  for  Reafon  and  Chriftianity 
teach  us  that  a  king  is  above  a  fubjecly 
a  governor  above  a  citizen,  and  a  mafter 
above  a  fervant.  But  a  iervant  fliould 
not  be  treated  like  a  beaft.  The  fupe 
rior  tribes  or  cafts  among  the  Hindoos', 
will  not  touch  the  victuals  which  have 
been  prepared  by  thofe  of  an  inferior 
caft.  It  is  a  frequent  and  pernicious 
faying  among  them,  that  it  is  better  to 
fit  than  to  walk,  to  fleep  than  to  wake,, 
and  death  is  the  beft  of  alL 

The  learned  profeflbr  of  Arabic  in 
the  univerfity  of  Oxford,  fays  of  the 
religion  of  the  Hindoos,  in  his  con 
cluding  fermcn  which  treats  of  their 
converfion;  "What  indeed  {hall  we 
think  of  a  religion,  which  fuppofes  the 

expiatipn. 


77 

expiation  of  fins  to  confift  in  penance?, 
than  which  fancy  cannot  fuggeft  any 
thing  more  rigorous  and  abfurd;  in  fit 
ting  or  {landing  whole  years  in  one  un 
varied  pofture ;  in  carrying  the  heavieft 
loads,  or  dragging  the  moft  weighty 
chains  5  in  expofmg  the  naked  body, 
and  in  hanging  with  the  head  downward 
before  the  fiercer!:  and  moft  intolerable 
fire.";*; 

There  is  great  reafon  to  doubt  that 
Mr.  Orme,  and  many  other  writers, 
have  been  too  partial  to  the  character  of 
the  Hindoos.  Dr.  Robertfon,  in  the 
appendix  to  his  "  Hiftorical  Difquifitiorx 
concerning  Ancient  India,"  in  his  ac 
count  of  the  religion  of  the  Hindoos, 
fays  "  The  pagodas  of  the  eaft  were  pol 
luted  with  human  facrifices,  as  well  as 

the 
G  2 

I  See  the  concluding  Sermon  in  Whites's  Ser 
mon's.  London,  printed,  1785.  See  a  difTertation 
upon  the  Hindoos  prefixed  to  "  The  Hiftory  of  Hin- 
doftan.  By  Alexander  Dow,  Efq."  See  alfo  "  In- 
ftitutes  of  Hindu  law."  By  the  late  Sir  William 
Jones,  tf  the  reader  will  attend  to  theie  works,  he 
muft  allow  that  a  rational  fpirit  of  Chriftianity  would 
be  far  preferable  to  the  religious  fyftem  of  the  Hin 
doos. 


7$ 

the  temples  of  the  weft."  Page 
Quarto.  He  alludes,  in  page  320,  to 
fome  very  indecent  ceremonies  among 
the  Hindoos. 

Dr.  Brown,  who  was  formerly  of 
Magdalen  College,  Cambridge,  and 
lately  became  Chaplain  to  the  garrifon  at 
Fort  William,  Calcutta,,  fays  "My  im 
perfect  knowledge  of  a  great  variety  of 
leading  facts,  will  very  much  cramp  my 
correfpondence;  but  of  one  particular 
branch,  the  religious  condition  of  the 
natives,  I  have  confiderable  information. 
The  Mahometans  make  only  about  a 
ninth  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  Bengal, 
who  are  chiefly  Hindoos.  The  Bramin 
fuperftition,  which  it  has  been  the 
lafliion  to  reprefent  as  mild  and  inoffen- 
iive,  is,  as  I  have  the  moft  convincing 
evidence,  extremely  cruel,  oppreffive 
and  fanguinary. 

As  a  fource  of  depopulation,  it  is 
worthy  the  attention  of  the  Legislature ; 
.the  burning  of  the  women,  which  has 
been  fuppofed  a  very  partial  thing,  is  an 
extremely  common  practice.  My  learn 
ed  friend,  Mr.  William  Chambers,  has 

computed 


79 

computed  that  about  50,000  widows 
are  in  thefe  provinces  burnt  annually 
with  their  hufbands. — Many  of  them 
are  young  and  child-bearing ;  and  might 
by  fecond  marriages  have  been,  upon 
an  average,  mothers  of  two  children 
each.  The  three  or  four  principal 
wives  generally  burn;  and  often  the 
inferiors  compelled  by  difgrace,  and  the 
exceilive  hardships  they  are  inftantly 
expofed  to,  follow  their  example.  In 
fome  few  inftances  this  appears  to  be  a 
voluntary  acl,  but  the  majority  are  ter 
rified  into  it." 

Dr.  Brown  fays,  "  The  Bramins  can, 
as  may  ferve  their  intereft,  devote  any 
fick  branch,  of  a  family  to  death;  and 
incredible  numbers  are  made  away  with 
by  this  bloody  fuperftition.  A  gentle 
man  told  me,  as  he  pafled  above  a  place 
called  Culna,  a  little  above  Calcutta, 
that  he  faw  a  fet  of  Bramins,  pufhing  a 
youth  about  eighteen  years  of  age  into 
the  water;  and  as  they  were  performing 
their  buiinefs  of  fuffocation  with  mud, 
he  called  on  them  to  defift.  They 
anlwered  calmly,  "  It  is  our  cuflom — 
it  is  our  cuftom — he  cannot  live — ou-r 

god 


god  fays  he  muft  die."  Then  the  ope 
ration  went  on  till  the  unhappy  youth 
expired.  This  is  a  fadt,  and  thoufands 
here  of  equal  barbarity  might  be  col- 
ledled.  Such,  dear  Sir,  is  the  Hindoo 
religion  in  fome  of  its  fruits.  It  is  full 
of  malignity  and  all  manner  of  abomi 
nations.  The  temples  are  filled  with 
dancing  girls,  whofe  hiftory  you 
know  from  books.  1  cannot  fpeak  of 
their  deteftable  rites.  The  old  filthy 
fyftem  of  Paganifm  in  Greece  and  Rome, 
is,  in  fpirit,  the  fame  as  that  now  in  be 
ing  among  the  Hindoos,  and  perhaps 
is  not  lefs  polluted,  though  it  be  fome- 
what  more  retired.  I  am  aihamed  to 
fay,  that  my  eyes  have  feen  what  I 
now  — ;  but  unlefs  I  had  feen  it,  my 
teftimony  would  have  been  fcarcely  cre 
dible,  and  I  never  could  have  fpoken 
-with  fuch  abhorrence  as  I  now  feel.1' 

A  report  has  lately  prevailed,  which, 
if  it  fhould  prove  true,  would  be  a  fur 
ther  inducement  to  attempt  the  conver- 
fion  of  the  Hindoos,  that  in  Hindoftan 
there  has  lately  arifen  "  a  religion, 
which,  its  followers,  in  contradiction 
to  the  former  uniform  practice  of  the 

believers 


8i 


believers  in  the  Shatter,  endeavour  to 
make  univerfal,  and  with  a  zeal  which 
reiembles  the  Mahometan,  conflantly 
enforce  by  the  fword/'-f- 

The  dodtrine  of  loling  caft  among 
the  Hindoos,  is  the  rock  which  oppo- 
fes  the  propagation  of  the  Gofpel  in 
India.  Some  who  are  of  a  perfecuting 
fpirit  might  wim  to  fplit  this  rock  with 
iron,  or  to  blow  it  up  with  gunpowder. 
The  gentle  fpirit  of  Chrift,  however, 
may  in  time  fever  this  rock,  without 
the  aid  of  warlike  weapons,  and  caufe 
water  and  honey  to  flow  from  it.  St. 
Paul  fays,  "  For  the  weapons  of  our 
warfare  are  not  carnal,  but  mighty 
through  God,  to  the  pulling  down  of 
ftrong  holds."  2  Corinthians,  10,4, 

To  lofe  caft,  which  is  a  kind  of  ex 
communication,  is  more  dreadful  to  a 
Hindoo  than  death  or  torture.  Every 
relation  and  connexion  in  life  is  faid  to 
be  diffolved  by  this  lofs;  no  relation, 

friend^ 


^  t  See  page  ?th  of  "  Proceedings  of  the-  A  flbcia- 
tion  for  promoting  the  Difcovery  of  the  Interior 
parts  of  Africa." 


Sa 


friend,  or  acquaintance,  will  eat,  drink, 
or  frnoke  with  the  perfon  who  fuffers 
the  lofs.  He  is  held  to  be  a  curfe, 
and  ihunned  like  the  peftilence.  Every 
Hindoo  who  is  converted  to  chriftianity 
lofes  his  caft,-f* 

The  Mahometans  purfued  a  plan  for 
the  propagation  of  their  religion  in  Hin- 
doftan,  which  might  fuccefsfully  be 
adopted  by  the  Miniflers  of  the  Goi- 
pel.  They  patronized  the  outcaft  Hin 
doos,  and  gradually  brought  them  over 
to  the  Mahometan  faith*  In  this  man 
ner  a  great  body  of  flouriihing  Hindoos, 
who  had  loft  their  call,  might  be 
eftabliihed  in  fockty  to  keep  one 
another  in  countenance,  and  in  time  the 
lofmg  caft  might  be  no  longer  a  bugbear. 

It 


f  The  Danifh  miffionaries,  who  attempted  to  con 
vert  the  Indians  in  Malabar,  in  die  beginning  of  the 
laft  century,  fay  "  Every  one  that  turns  ChriiUan 
(not  being  the  head  of  a  family)  is  pieiently  lanijb* 
ed  from  bis  whele  eftate  and  kindred,  not  daring  fo 
much  as  to  come  near  them  again.  They  look  en 
him  as  the  vileft  and  moil  miferable  wretch  that  ever 
lived."  See  Page  37  of  a  Work,  entitled  "  Propa 
gation  of  the  Gofpel  in  the  Eaft."  London,  printed,. 
1.718.  This  is  a  book  worthy  the  attention  of  the 
Societies  lately  inftituted  for  the  propagation  of  the 
Gofpel. 


It  might  be  eafier,  perhaps,  to  con 
vert  the  Mahometans  in  India,  than  the 
Hindoos.  One  great  inducement  to 
convert  the  Mahometans  to  Chriftiani- 
ty-9  with  others  of  high  confequence, 
is,  that  it  would  make  them  more  fvrb- 
miffive  to  order  and  good  government. 
It  is  faid  of  Amboyna,-^  in  the  Aiiatic 
Annual  Regifter,  for  1 800.  "  In  moft 
of  the  diftridts  fchools  are  eftablifhed ; 
and  Proteftant  Minifters  are  appointed 
for  the  propagation  of  the  Chriftian 
Faith.  The  expence  attending  thefe 
inftitutions  is  very  trifling,  and  the 
benefit  confiderable  •>  as  it  is  found  by 
experience,  that  the  inhabitants  of  thfc 
Chriftian  diftridts  are  much  more  obedient 
to  the -laws  than  the  Mahomedans" 

The  government  is  cautious  of  ad 
mitting  perfons  to  propagate  the  Gof- 
pel  in  Hindoftan.  It  is  not  improbable^ 
however,  that  this  favour  might  be 
given  to  the  Moravians.  There  has 

been 


-f-  In  Banda,  and  the  feven  South  Weft  Iflands,  as 
they  are  called,  which  are  all  urfder  the  fame, govern 
ment,  many  of  the  natives  have  been  converted  to 
Chriftianity.  See  Aiiatic  Annual  Regifter,  for  1800. 


been  for  a  long  time  an  uninterrupted 
good  underftanding,  between  the  Bri- 
ti£h  and  thefe  valuable  people.  And 
experience  has  regularly  fhewn,  that 
whenever  the  Moravian  miffionaries 
have  been  admitted  into  the  Britim  fet- 
tlements,  their  labours  have  been  con 
ducive  to  peace  and  order,  as  well  as  to 
morality,  induftry,  and  piety.  In  the 
Ifland  of  Antigua,  the  Moravians  have 
already  converted  ten  thoufand  from 
about  thirty  thoufand  Negroes,  and  it  is 
to  be  wiihed  by  every  good  man,  and 
every  friend  of  the  Ifland,  that  they 
would  convert  the  remaining  number  of 
the  Negroes. 

The  late  Emprefs  Catharine,  gave 
the  Moravians  liberty  to  propagate  the 
Gofpel  wherever  they  pleafed  over  her 
extenfive  dominions,  upon  the  condi 
tion  that  they  did  not  meddle  with  the 
government.  Upon  this  ftipulation, 
they  were  to  be  protected  by  the  civil 
power  in  regard  to  their  perfonal  rights. 
The  agreement  was  faithfully  preferved 
on  both  fides.  The  Moravians  made  a 
fet dement,  with  full  permiffionto  regu 
late  the  internal  concerns  of  their  own 

fociety, 


85 

fociety,  upon  the  little  river  Sarpa,  near 
the  Wolga.  There  is  an  account  of  this 
fettlement  in  the  4th  volume  of  Tooke's 
complete  hiftorical  account  of  all  the 
nations  which  compofe  the  Ruffian  em 
pire.  It  has  been  lamented  by  fome, 
that  the  Moravians  have  not  found 
greater  fuccefs  in  the  propagation  of  the 
Gofpel  in  Ruffia,  but  we  rnuft  patient 
ly  expect  that  time  will  difclofe  the  fruit 
of  their  labours. 

It  might  be  more  eafy,  perhaps,  to 
gain  permiffion  to  propagate  the  Gofpel 
in  Ceylon,  than  in  Hindoftan.  Ceylon 
is  a  large,  fertile,  and  valuable  ifland, 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  long, 
and  two  hundred  broad.  The  natives 
are  faid,  with  forne  appearance  of  reafon, 
to  call  it  the  terreftrial  paradife.  They 
are  idolaters,  they  worfhip  the  fun  and 
moon,  though  they  acknowledge  a  Su 
preme  Being.  It  would  be  a  noble  and 
meritorious  thing  (as  Paul  faid  to  the 
Athenians)  to  declare  unto  them,  that 
God  whom  they  ignorant ly  worfhip. 

There   might  be  fome   profpect  of 

propagating  the  Gofpel  in  the  kingdom 

H  of 


86 


of  Ava,  in  the  Peninfula  beyond  the 
Ganges,  if  millenaries  were  to  go  thi 
ther.  Major  Symes,  in  his  «  Account 
of  an  embafly  to  the  kingdom  of  Ava," 
fays  of  Rangoon,  a  coniiderable  com 
mercial  city  in  that  kingdom.  "  Here 
are  to  be  met  fugitives  from  all  coun 
tries  of  theeaft,  and  of  all  complexions: 
the  exchange,  if  I  may  fo  call  the  com 
mon  place  of  their  meeting,  exhibits  a 
motley  aflemblage  of  merchants,  fuch 
as  few  towns  of  much  greater  magni 
tude  can  produce;  Malabars,  Moguls, 
Perlians,  Parfees,  Armenians,  Portu- 
guefe,  French  and  Englifb,  all  mingle 
here,  and  are  engaged  in  various  branches 
of  commerce.  The  members  of  this 
difcordant  multitude  are  not  only  per 
mitted  to  refide  under  the  protection  of 
government,  but  likewife  enjoy  the 
moil  liberal  toleration  in  matters  of  re 
ligion  ;  they  celebrate  their  feveral  rites 
and  festivals,  totally  disregarded  by  the 
Birmans,  who  have  no  inclination  to 
make  profelytes."  Page  215,  Quarto, 
London,  printed,  1800. 

It  is  highly  to  be  lamented,  that  fo 
many  difficulties  oppofe  the  propagation 

of 


37 

of  the  Gofpel  In  China.  Thefe  diffi 
culties,  though  great,  may  not  he  in 
vincible.  This  empire  was  fuppofed  to 
contain  one  hundred  millions  of  inhabi 
tants,  which  at  the  former  eftimation 
of  the  population  of  the  globe  at  a  thou- 
land  millions,  is  one  tenth  part.  Sir 
George  Staunton,  in  his  "  Account  of 
Lord  Macartney's  Embaffy  to  China," 
who  attended  the  embafly,  fuppofes, 
and  he  buih  his  eftimation  upon  official 
documents,  that  the  population  of  the 
old  fifteen  provinces  of  China,  is  three 
hundred  and  thirty  three  millions.  See 
the  firft  article  in  the  Appendix,  vol.  2. 
— What  an  incitement  does  this  afford 
to  Chriftian  zeal,  if  it  could  be  exerted 
with  any  profpecl  of  fuccefs !  The 
Jefuits  had  wonderful  fuccefs  in  propa 
gating  the  Gofpel  after  their  manner  in. 
China.  But  when  they  were  fufpected  of 
aiming  to  controul  the  power  of  the 
Emperor,  and  to  gain  the  temporal 
dominion  of  the  country  into  their 
hands,  they  were  haftily  expelled  from 
the  empire,  and  all  the  numerous 
churches  which  they  had  built,  were 
levelled  to  the  ground.  In  a  work  en 
titled  "  The  Travels  of  the  Jefuits, " 

we 


88 


we  find,  that  they  had  fagacioufly  adopt 
ed  a  practice  which  mould  be  imitated 
by  thofe  who  hold  a  better  fyftem  of 
faith.  They  took  care  of  thofe  chil 
dren  who  in  China  are  often  left  volun 
tarily  deferted  by  their  parents,  and 
educated  them  in  the  principles  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  religion. — Sir  George 
Staunton,  however,  fays,  that  there  are 
many  Roman  Catholics  in  Pekin,  the 
capital  of  China. 

We  find  the  following  pleafing  in 
formation,  which  fhows  the  liberality 
of  the  Church  of  England,  in  the  New- 
York  Miffionary  Magazine  for  Novem 
ber,  1 80 1. —-It  was  probably  taken 
from  the  Evangelical  Magazine,  printed 
in  London. 

"  Society  for  miffions  to  Africa  and 
the  Eaft,  inftituted  by  members  of  the 
eftabliflied  Church  of  England. 

"On  Tuefday,  May  26,  this  fociety 
held  their  firft  anniverfary  meeting, 
when  the  Rev.  T.  Scot  (of  the  Lock) 
preached  a  fermon  before  the  fociety  at 
Blackfriars  Church,  after  prayers  were 

read 


89 

read  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Goode,  Mr. 
Scott  introduced  his  difcourfe  (which 
was  founded  on  Epheiians,  2,  12,)  by 
controverting  and  refuting  the  opinion 
of  thofe  who  would  perfuade  us  that  the 
heathen  are  in  a  fafe  ilate,  and  gave  an 
affedting  reprefentation  of  their  wicked- 
nefs,  impurity,  and  cruelty.  He  point 
ed  out  the  duty  of  Chriftians  to  endea 
vour  to  promote  their  falvation,  and  he 
lamented  the  criminal  neglect  of  this 
great  work.  He  then  fuggefted  fome 
hints  calculated  to  ftimulate  and  excite 
the  friends  of  the  inftitution  to  union, 
zeal,  and  liberality;  and  particularly 
ftated,  that  this  fociety  wifhed  rather  to 
be  confidered  as  coadjutors,  than  com 
petitors  with  other  focieties.  He  de 
tailed  the  fteps  already  taken  by  the 
committee,  who  have  adopted  the  object 
recommended  in  Mr.  Mofeley's  Me 
moir,  viz :  the  tranflation  of  the  Scrip 
tures  into  the  Chinefe  language,  and 
their  circulation  in  that  immenfe  em 
pire/'  This  tranflation  is  a  magnifi 
cent,  noble,  and  judicious  fcheme,  wor 
thy  the  powerful  patronage  of  the  King 
and  Parliament  of  the  Britim  Ifles. — 
Sir  George  Staunton  fays,  "  There  is 
H2  in 


9o 


in  China  no  ftate  religion.  None  is 
paid,  preferred,  or  encouraged  by  it. 
The  Emperor  is  of  one  faith;  many  of 
the  Mandarines  of  another  ;  and  the  ma 
jority  of  the  common  people  of  a  third, 
which  is  that  of  Fo."  Account  of 
the  Embafly  to  China,  Vol.  2,  Page 
1  02,  Quarto,  London  printed,  1797. 
—  Circumftances  may  be  more  favor 
able  for  the  propagation  of  the  Gof- 
pel  in  China,  than  have  been  fuppofed. 
It  is  faid  that  the  prefent  Emperor  is 
more  inclined  to  the  Britifh  than  the 
late,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  he  will 
accede  to  the  propofals  for  an  extenfi- 
on  of  commerce  between  China  and 
Great-Britain,  which  were  neglected 
by  his  predecerlbr. 

Perfia  is  a  country  which  has  not 
been  fufficiently  coniidered.  It  is  faid 
in  Outline's  Geographical  Grammar, 
"  The  long  wars  between  the  Perfians 
and  the  Romans,  feem  early  to  have 
driven  the  ancient  Chriftians  into  Perfia 
and  the  neighbouring  co'untries.  Even 
to  this  day  many  fedts  are  found,  that 
evidently  have  Christianity  for  the 
ground-  work  of  their  religion,  Some 


them,  called  Souffees,  who  are  a  kind 
of  Quietifts,  facrifice  their  paffions  to 
God,  and  profefs  the  moral  duties. 
The  Sabean  Chriftians  have  in  their 
religion,  a  mixture  of  Judaifm  and  Ma- 
hometanifm ;  and  are  numerous  towards 
the  Perfian  gulph.  I  have  already 
mentioned  the  Armenian  and  Georgian 
Chriftians,  who  are  very  numerous  in 
Perfia.  The  prefent  race  of  Perfians 
are  faid  to  be  very  cool  in  the  dodrines 
of  Mahomet,  owing  partly  to  their  late 
wars  with  the  Turks." 

The  Engliih  have  factories  at  Gom 
broon,  nine  miles  diftant  from  the  fa 
mous  Ifland  of  Ormus,  which  formerly 
carried  on  an  aftonifhing  commerce. 
The  Bnglifh  trade  at  Gombroon  with 
the  Perfians,  Arabians,  Banyans,  Ar 
menians,  Turks,  and  Tartars,  who  go 
there  with  the  Caravans,  which  fet  out 
from  various  inland  cities  of  Afia,  un 
der  the  convoy  of  guards .  Gombroon 
would  afford  a  fine  opportunity  to  hold 
an  eafy  communication  with  the  Per 
fians,  and  many  other  nations,  and  to 
confider  how  the  Gofpel  might  beft 
be  fpread  among  them.  In  the  beauti 
ful 


92T 

ful  city  of  Shiraz,  which  is  not  very  far 
from  Gombroon,  there  is  an  univerfity 
for  the  ftudy  of  Eaflern  learning.  If 
the  Chriftians  could  diffufe  their  doc 
trines  over  this  college,  it  might  be 
like  a  torch  to  illuminate  the  whole  em 
pire  of  Perfia.  The  great  hofpitality 
of  the  Perfiaris  might  be  made  a  favor 
able  mean  through  which  ministers  of 
the  Gofpel  might  be  introduced  into  the 
country.  Mr.  Francklin,  who  has  late 
ly  been  in  Perfia,  obferves  of  the  inha 
bitants,  "  They  fay  that  every  meal  a 
ftranger  partakes  with  them,  brings  a 
bleffing  upon  the  houfe/'  See  article 
Perfia,  in  Heron's  Geography,  Lon 
don  printed,  1797* 

The  fettlement  at  New-Holland,  or 
rather  New  South  Wales,  which  is  like 
a  giant  in  his  infancy,  feems  to  prefent  a 
wide  field  for  the  labours  of  the  mifiion- 
ary. — This  may  prove  amoft  important 
country.  Captain  Cookfaid  it  was  the 
largefl  country  in  the  world  that  did 
not  bear  the  name  of  a  continent.  The 
length  of  the  eaftern  coaft,  along  which 
Captain  Cook  failed,  is  fuppofed  to  be  a- 
bout  two  thoufand  miles.  It  is  now  faid, 
that  the  whole  of  New  South  Wales  is 

not 


93 

not  one  iiland,  and  that  veffels  can  fail 
round  Van  Diemen's  land.     Mr.  Col 
lins,  late  Judge  Advocate  and  Secretary 
to  the  colony,  who  published  an  ac 
count  of  New  South  Wales,  in  1798, 
fays  that  the  Hawkefbury,  which  has 
been  difcovered  fince  the  firft  fettlement 
made  in  the  country,  is  a  large  and  noble 
river,  which  may  be  compared  to  the 
Nile.     It   is  not  very   far  from   Port 
Jackfon,  and  the  town  of  Sidney.  Some 
of  the  land  near  the  Hawkefbury  is  ve 
ry  fertile ;  it  will  produce  two  crops  of 
Indian  corn  in  a  year,  at  the  firft  crop 
to    the   amount   of  feventy  or   eighty 
bufhels  per  acre.     The  land  will  not 
only  produce  corn  in  abundance,  but 
wheat,  and  almoft  every  thing  that  is 
valuable,  pleafing  or  curious  in  nature. 
The  farmers  in  New  South  Wales  are 
faid  to  make  good  wine,  as  eafily  as  ci 
der  is  produced  in  the  cider-counties  of 
England. — The  olive-tree  would  pro 
bably  flourim  there,  and  fome  have  re 
commended  the  raifmg  the  Tartarian 
mulberry -tree,  for  the  nourishment  of 
the  filk-worm ; — There  is  faid  to  be  a 
fine  whale-fifhery  on  the  coaft.     The 
Governors  who  have  been  appointed  in 

the 


94 

the  colony  of  New  South  Wales,  feem  to 
have  been  amiable  men  and  worthy  of 
their  office;  and  thofe  connected  with, 
government  appear  to  have  been  generally 
refpedlable  perfons.  But  it  is  acknow 
ledged  by  all,  that  there  is  a  great  depravi 
ty  of  morals  in  the  colony.  Some  Quaker 
families,  who  thought  of  retiring  there 
from  Old  England,  were  frightened  a- 
way  on  account  of  this  depravity.  New 
South  Wales  ihould  excite  the  coniidera- 
tion  of  the  minifters  of  the  Gofpel  from 
its  extent,  which  is  find  to  be  as  large  as 
that  of  all  Europe,  and  from  its  grow- 

t«^rr  r>/-s*-»'0><"Mi<»r»/'>p  HPllP  r\P"3CP  \vill  fPflH 
uig  x;vnm_viviviix/v«  X  11G  UCdA-C  Will  IX-IJU. 

to  make  a  rapid  increafe  of  this  confe- 
quence.  The  minifters  of  the  Gofpel 
might  here  find  a  great  opening  to  do 
good.  They  might  here  tame  the  fe 
rocious,  purify  the  incontinent,  give 
honefty  to  rapacity,  make  the  diforderly 
regular,,  and  in  the  end  might  teach  the 
Songs  of  Zion  (I  fpeak  independently 
of  the  offices  of  government)  to  this 
cage  of  unclean  birds, 

The  word  of  the  convidts,  again;}: 
the  inclinations  of  the  government,  have 
often  wantonly  committed  depredations 


95 

and  infults  upon  the  natives  of  New 
South  Wales.  The  Miffionaries,  in 
concurrence  with  the  government  might 
have  a  happy  effecl:  in  preventing  thefe 
evils,  and  of  procuring  the  natives  to 
be  treated  with  the  moft  judicious  and 
attentive  humanity  which  is  poffible. — 
By  late  accounts  from  New  South  Wales, 
there  were  only  three  miffionaries  in  that 
country,  and  one  at  Norfolk  iiland* 

Of  Europe  it  is  not  at  prefent  my  in 
tention  to  fay  much.  Though  the  gof- 
pel  of  late  has  fpread  with  renewed  force 
in  Great  Britain  and  fome  parts  of  Ger 
many,*  it  has  decreafed  in  France  and 
fome  other  countries.  The  miffionary 
fociety  of  London  have  wifely  thought 
of  fpreading  a  French  tranflation  of  the 

Scriptures 


*  We  fhould  highly  applaud  the  exalted  virtue 
and  magnanimious  zeal  of  Baron  Von  Shirnding  of 
Germany,  who  is  employing  the  princely  wealth  with 
which  Heaven  has  favoured  him  in  a  liberal  and  ju 
dicious  manner  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gofpel. 
He  thinks  that  miffionaries  thould  be  eftablimed  at 
Nootka  Sound  for  the  purpofe  of  civilizing  and  con 
verting  to  Chriftianity  the  Indians  in  that  part  of  A- 
merica.— There  feems  alfo  to  be  a  defire  in  Holland 
and  in  Switzerland  to  co-operate  with  the  miffionary 
fociety  in  London. 


96 


Scriptures  into  that  tumultuous  coun 
try,  whofe  miferies  have  been  an  awful 
leffbn  to  mankind,  to  manifeft  the  dif- 
ad vantage  of  infidelity  to  a  nation. 

In  my  opinion  the  tranflation  of  the 
Scriptures  into  foreign  languages  is  a 
matter  which  has  not  met  with  fuffici- 
ent  attention.  Every  fed:  of  chriftians, 
excepting  the  Roman  Catholics,  would 
agree  to  the  propriety  of  this  meafure. 
It  would  be  prudent  for  the  friends  of 
the  Cofpel  immediately  to  open  public 
fubfcriptions  for  this  noble  purpofe  in 
all  proteftant  countries. — 

The  firft  things  to  be  attended  to  in 
the  propagation  of  the  gofpel  in  a  foreign 
country,  under  the  favour  of  Heaven, 
are,  learning  the  language;  procuring 
children  without  fraud,  to  be  educated 
in  the  principles  of  Chriflianity  devoid 
of  the  fuperftition  of  the  country ;  ef- 
tablifhing  manufactories  as  well  as  cha 
rity  fchools ;  and  building  churches  and 
meeting-houfes .  — 

In  the  propagation  of  the  gofpel  in  a 
foreign  country,  the  different  feels  of 

chriftians 


97 

Chriftians  fhould  bear  and  forbear  with 
each  other. — The  true  church  of  Chrift 
may  confift  of  the  fincere  in  all  religious 
perfuafions.     Thofe  who  baptize,  and 
thofe  who  neglect  baptifm,  if  they  do  it, 
or  do    it    not,    unto    the   Lord,    may 
all  be  acceptable  unto  him.     If  any  ad- 
minifler  the  facrament  of  Chrift's  fup- 
per  in  a  proper  and  becoming  manner, 
they  ihould  meet  with  no  oppofition  or 
ridicule  from  their  fellow-chriftians.  On 
the  other  hand,  if  any,  from  a  tender 
confcience,  and  fearing  that  this  holy 
rite  may  not  always  be  duly  adminifter- 
ed,  would  wifh  for  the  prefent  to  decline 
it,  they  (hould  alfo  meet  with  forbear 
ance.     We  ihould  endeavour,  accord 
ing  to  the  injunftionof  the  Apo  file,  not 
to  divide  Chrift..     The  following  words 
of  St.  Paul  defer ve  more  attention  than 
has  been  given  to  them  by  modern  Chrif 
tians.     "   For  ye   are  yet  carnal:  for 
whereas  there  is  among  you  envying, 
and  ftrife,  and  divifions,  are  ye  not  car 
nal  and  walk  as  men  ?  For  while  one 
faith  I  am  of  Paul,  and  another  I  am  of 
Apollos,are  ye  not  carnal  ?  Who  then  is 
Paul,  and  who  is  Apollos,  but  minifters 
by  whom  ye  believed,  even  as  the  Lord 
gave  to  every  man  ?   i  Cor.  iii ;  3, 4,  5." 
I  It 


It  is  wrong  to  be  too  ftridlly  confined 
to  any  fed:.  The  names  of  Luther, 
Calvin,  Barclay,  and  Wefley,  deferve  to 
be  mentioned  with  great  refpedh  They 
were  fallible  men,  however,  and  were 
all  inferior  to  Paul,  and  Paul  himfelf  to 
Chrift,  who  is  appointed  by  the  Al 
mighty  to  be  head  of  the  church.  We 
mould  inflexibly  contend  for  the  prac 
tice  of  the  eflential  duties  of  religion, 
without  too  much  attention  to  uneffen- 
tial  forms  and  ceremonies.  Religion 
is  truly  beautiful,  when  it  is  underftood 
with  judgment,  and  pradtifed  with  fin- 
cerity.  It  does  not  feem  worth  while 
for  Chriftians  to  irritate  one  another 
about  fuch  trifles  as  thou  or  you  in  com 
mon  converfation .  Cuftom  may  make 
one  or  the  other  the  nominative  or  accufa- 
tive  cafe,  the  iingular  or  the  plural  num 
ber.  Such  things  as  thefe  are  like  the 
dust  in  the  balance.  We  fliould  attend 
to  the  weightier  matters  of  the  law, 
judgment,  mercy  and J ait h. 

I  will  infert  the  following  quotation 
from  Crantz's  hiflory  of  Greenland,  to 
fliew,  as  an  example  worthy  of  univer- 
fal  imitation,  the  forbearance  and  Chrif- 

tian 


99 

tian  benevolence  with  which  two  focie- 
ties  of  Chriftians- behaved  to  one  another 
when  engaged  in  the  fame  work.  '  :  The 
twelve  laft  years  have  {hewn  to  every 
one's  joy  and  edification,  that  miftiona- 
ries  of  two  different  constitutions,  but 
of  the  fame  foundation  of  faith,  need 
not  let  their  paffionate  zeal  drive  them 
afunder,  but  if  both  fides  take  wifdom 
for  their  guide,  they  may  condtid  their 
miffions  in  harmony,  gather  fouls  for 
one  common  Lord,  and  preferve  them 
in  him  without  the  one's  labour  being 
any  detriment  to  the  other.  Both  par 
ties  adopted  the  Auguftan  confeflion ; 
and  acknowledged  each  other  in  that 
refpeft;  they  had  one  Lord,  one  faith, 
one  baptifm;  they  inculcated  in  both 
churches  the  chief  and  fundamental  ar 
ticle  of  the  proteflant  religion,  viz.  Juf- 
tirlcation  before  God  by  free  grace, 
through  faith  in  the  all  furficient  merits 
of  our  Lord.  They  honored  each  other 
as  fathers,  and  loved  each  other  as  bre 
thren.  They  aflifted  each  other  with 
counfel  and  deed,  particularly  in  leading 
the  awakened  fouls  tojefus,  and  no  jar 
ring  of  opinion  was  ever  obferved  among 
them  or  their  people.  Things  being 

thus 


IOO 


thus  conducted,  what  fource  could  there 
be  for  fchifrn  among  the  believers,  or 
calumny  among  the  unbelievers  ? 

The  Danim  miffionary  proceeded  all 
the  while  in  preaching,  teaching,  and 
baptizing,   according  to  the  prescribed 
rules  of  his  church,  and  the  brethren 
according  to  the  regulations  in  their  con 
gregation;  which  they,  however,  look 
ed  upon  as  fo  far  from  being  neceiiary  in 
another  constitution,  or  even  feafible,  or 
beneficial,  that  they  faithfully  advifed 
the  Danim  miffionary  not  to  adopt  the 
least  article  thereof  which  wras  not  con- 
.fiftent  with  the  rules  of  his  church,  and 
that  not  fo  much  from  apprehenfions  of 
his  being  called  to  account  for  fo  doing, 
but  principally  that  nothing  might  be 
introduced    among   the   Greenlanders, 
which  fooner  or  later  might  caufe  diffen- 
tions  among  them.     I  ftill  remember 
with  what  pleasure  the  Ordinary  of  the 
brethren  read  in  the  yearly  accounts  from 
Greenland,  the  report  of  this  famenefs 
of  principle  and  unanimity  in  labour  be 
tween  thefe  two  miffions,  how  he  ex 
tolled  it,  and  recommended  it  as  worthy 
of  imitation,  and  how  earneftly  he  ex 
horted 


I  01 

horted  our  brethren  to  continue  in  this 
caufe.  This  he  alfo  teftified  publicly. 
In  his  annotations  on  Dr.  Weifman's 
Ecckfiaftical  Hiftory,  he  fays  "  The 
internal  harmony  between  the  Brethren 
and  the  Lutherans  there,  is  one  of  the 
greateft  beauties  in  Davis's  Straits," 

Thus  much  I  thought  neceffary  to 
remark,  in  order  to  elucidate  the  exem 
plary  courfe  obferved  in  profecuting  har- 
moniouily  the  converfion  of  the  heathen, 
and  will  now  conclude  this  third  period 
with  the  enfuing  departure,  for  the 
prefent,  of  our  and  the  Danifh  miflion- 
ary,  from  their  refpe&ive  blooming 
millions,  in  which  the  former  had  been 
engaged  eighteen,  and  the  latter  twelve 
years  -y  which  I  will  infer  tin  the  identi 
cal  words  of  the  diary  at  the  clofe  of 
the  year.  "  We  thank  our  dear  Lord 
that  he  hath  called,  enlightened,  and 
collected  this  congregation  from  among 
the  favages,  by  his  fpirit  through  the 
Gofpel,  who  hath  kept  them  hitherto 
through  Jefus  Chrift,  in  the  true  and 
only  faith.  If  there  had  been  no  more 
than  two  or  three,  who  in  faith  and 
reality  had  gathered  themfelves  together 
I  2  around 


102 

around  Jefus,  it  would  ftill  have  been  a 
congregation  according  to  our  Saviour's 
own  words,  and  we  fhould  have  efteem- 
ed  this  a  fufficient  reward  for  our  eighteen 
years  toil  and  trouble,  though  the  wifh 
and  fcope  of  our  labour  is  to  fave  many 
thoufand  trophies  of  his  crofs.  But  at 
reviewing  the  church  book  we  can  reckon 
upwards  of  three  hundred  fouls  who 
have  been  bound  up  in  the  bundle  of 
life  y  more  than  forty  of  whom  are  al 
ready  taken  up  to  the  marriage  of  the 
Lamb  above,  and  a  hundred  are  hungry 
guefts  at  the  Lord's  table  there.'' 
Crantz's  Hiftory  of  Greenland,  Vol.  2, 
Pages  150,  &c. 

When  we  confider  what  has  been  ef- 
fedled  by  the  Moravians  in  feveral  parts 
of  the  world,  we  fhould  not  defpair  of 
finding  the  Gofpel  eftablifhed  in  China 
or  any  where.  The  Moravians  fucceed- 
ed  after  indefatigable  labours,  in  propa 
gating  the  Gofpel  in  Greenland.  They 
ftruggled  for  many  years,  againft  cold, 
againft  hunger,  againft  a  barbarous  and 
perfecuting  nation,  with  invincible  and 
triumphant  refolution.  They  became 
at  laft,  like  rivers  oj  'water  in  a  dry 
place.  Chriftians 


103 

Chriftians  fhould  be  more  adlive, 
more  courageous,  and  more  difinterefted 
in  the  propagation  of  theGofpel.  Ma 
ny  think  too  much  of  being  acceptable 
to  God,  if  they  are  not  adually  guilty, 
We  fhould  more  confider  that  there  are 
crimes  of  omiffionas  well  as  commiffion. 
Our  Saviour  in  the  parable  in  the  twen 
ty-fifth  chapter  of  Matthew,  fays,  the 
unprofitable  fervant  who  hid  his  talent 
in  the  earth,  was,  "  caft  into  outer 
darknefs,  where  fhall  be  weeping  and 
gnafhing  of  teeth."  Our  Saviour  alfo 
tells  his  difciples  in  the  fermon  on  the 
Mount,  "  Neither  do  men  light  a  can 
dle  and  put  it  under  a  bufhel,  but  on  a 
candleftick,  and  itgiveth  light  unto  all 
that  are  in  the  houfe."  It  is  not  only 
neceflary  to  believe  the  Gofpel,  but  to 
pradife  its  precepts,  and  alfo  to  propa 
gate  it,  according  to  our  ability, 
wherever  we  can.  It  is  not  convenient 
nor  neceflary  that  all  Chriftians  fhould 
be  travelling  minifters.  The  public 
duties  of  life,  or  the  private  cares  of  a 
family,  may  excufe  many  for  the  con 
tinuance  in  one  place.  But  thofe  who 
do  not  travel,  may  in  various  ways 
affift  the  general  caufe  of  the  Gofpel. 

They 


104 

They  may  write  theirfelves,  or  difperfe 
the  writings  of  others  in  favour  of 
Chriftianity,  or  may  give  what  pecunia 
ry  aid  they  can  afford,  whenever  it 
fhould  be  found  reafonable,  towards  its 
propagation. 

We  fhould  think  of  what  the  great 
Apoftle  to  the  Gentiles  fuffered  in  the 
propagation  of  the  Gofpel,  to  animate 
us  to  fortitude  in  difficult  and  dangerous 
fituations.  He  fays  he  was  "inftripes 
above  meafure,  in  prifons  frequent,  in 
deaths  oft.  Of  the  Jews,  five  times 
received  I  forty  Jtripes,  fave  one. — 
Thrice  was  I  beaten  with  rods,  once 
was  I  ftoned,  thrice  I  fuffered  fhip- 
wreck,  a  night  and  a  day  have  I  been  in 
the  deep  :  In  journeyings  often,  in  pe 
rils  of  waters,  in  perils  of  robbers,  in 
perils  by  mine  own  countrymen,  in 
perils  by  the  heathen,  in  perils  in  the 
city,  in  perils  in  the  wildernefs,  in  perils 
in  the  lea,  in  perils  among  falfe  bre 
thren ;  in  wearinels  and  painfulnefs, 
in  watchings  often,  in  hunger  and 
thirft,  in  failings  often,  in  cold  and 
nakednefs."  2  Corinth,  xi;  23  &c. 
Our  Saviour  alfo  tells  his  difciples, 

"  Fear 


io5 

"  Fear  not  them  who  kill  the  body, 
and  after  that  have  no  more  that  they 
can  do."  It  is  mentioned  inhiftory,  that 
there  were  Galileans  (Chriftians)  who 
though  unarmed,  defpifed  the  naked 
fwords  of  their  adverfaries .  Life,  how 
ever,  ihould  not  be  riiked  without  fuf- 
iicient  reafon.  To  do  this,  would  manifeft 
a  defperate,  melancholy,  fanatical  fpirit, 
unworthy  of  Chriftians.  It  is  where 
the  caufe  properly  requires  the  facrifice, 
that  we  fhould  rejoice  in  fuffering  and 
laying  down  our  lives  for  the  Gofpel. 
In  fuch  a  cafe,  if  we  have  made  a  good 
exertion  of  our  talents,  we  ihould  re 
joice  in  dying,  as  an  exile  in  returning 
to  his  home,  and  as  a  prifoner  in  being 
releafed  from  his  captivity.  Paul  when 
he  was  ripe  in  Chriftian  virtue,  was  glad 
when  his  hour  was  come.  He  had  faid 
before  that  hour  "  I  defire  to  depart, 
and  to  be  with  Chrift."  When  the  ty 
rant  Nero  had  commanded  him  to  be 
put  to  death  for  converting  one  of  his 
concubines  to  the  faith  and  purity  of  a 
Chriftian,  we  are  told  that  this  exalted 
character,  this  laborious,  fuffering,  en 
lightened  faint,  this  veteran  in  the 
caufe  of  the  Gofpel,  chearfully  yielded 

his 


io6 

his  neck  to  the   fword  of  the  execu 
tioner. 

Our  Saviour  told  his  difciples  "  Be 
hold,  I  fend  you  forth  as  Iheep  in  the 
midft  of  wolves  :  Be  ye  therefore  wife 
as  ferpents,  and  harmlefs  as  doves." 
We  findalfo  that  St.  Paul  fhunned  per- 
fecution  where  he  could  honeftly  ihun 
it ;  that  he  took  every  fair  advantage  of 
his  condition  ;  that  while  he  was  a  Jew 
to  the  Jews,  he  declared  himfelf  a  Ro 
man  citizen  to  the  Romans. 

The  Unitas  Fratrum,  or  fociety  of 
United  Brethren,  who  are  commonly 
called  the  Moravians,  have  met  with 
particular  fuceefs  in  the  propagation  of 
the  Gofpel,  and  mould  be  imitated  for 
their  patience,  diligence,  and  fortitude, 
in  this  noble  work.  They  inculcate 
alib  and  pradlife  great  civility  of  man* 
ners,  with  a  love  of  induftry,  which 
are  powerful  afliftants  to  their  pious  ex 
ertions.  They  feem  willing  courageouf- 
ly  to  venture  their  perfons  among  the 
moft  favage  and  ferocious  nations.  It 
is  finely  faid  by  Bifhop  Hurd,  in  a  fer- 
mon  which  he  preached,  before  the 

fociety 


lo; 

fociety  for  the  propagation  of  the  Gof- 
pel  in  foreign  parts.   "  The  difficulties, 
the  dangers,  the  diftreffes  of  all  forts 
which  muft    be    encountered    by   the 
Chriftian   miffionary,    require  a   more 
than  ordinary  degree  of  virtue,  and  will 
be  only  fuftained  by  him,  whom  a  fer 
vent  love  of  Chrift,  and  the  quicken 
ing  graces  of  fpirit  have  anointed  as  it 
v/ere,  and  confecrated  to  this  arduous 
fervice.     Then  it  is,  that  we  have  feen 
the  faithful  minifter  of    the  word   go 
forth  with  the  zeal  of  an  Apoftle,  and 
the  conftancy  of  a  martyr.     We  have 
feen  him  forfake  eafe  and  affluence,  a 
competency  at  leaft,  and  the  ordinary 
comforts  of  fociety ;  and  with  the  Gof- 
pel  in  his  hand  $nd  his  Saviour  in  his 
heart,  make  his  way  through  burning 
defarts,    and  the   howling  wildernefs, 
braving  the  rage  of  climates,  and  all  the 
inconveniencies    of  long  and   perilous 
voyages ;  fubmitting  to    the    drudgery 
of  learning  barbarous  languages,  and  to 
the  difguft   of  complying  with  barba 
rous  manners,  watching  the  dark  fuf- 
picions  and  expofed  to  the    capricious 
fury  of  ignorant  favages,  courting  their 
offenfive  fociety,  adopting  their  loath- 

fornc 


io8 

fome  cuftoms,  and  affimilating  his  ve 
ry  nature  almoft  to  theirs  j  in  a  word, 
enduring  all  things,  becoming  all  things 
in  the  patient  hope  of  finding  a  way  to 
their  good  opinion,  and  of  fucceeding 
finally  in  his  unwearied  endeavours  to 
make  the  word  of  life  a  falvation  not  un 
acceptable  to  them. 

"  I  confefs  when  I  reflect  on  all  thefe 
things,  I  humble  myfelf  before  fuch 
heroic  virtue ;  or  rather,  I  adore  the 
grace  of  God  in  Chrift  Jefus,  which 
is  able  to  produce  fuch  examples  of  it  in 
our  degenerate  world.  O  !  let  not  the 
hard  heart  of  infidelity  prophane  fuch 
virtue  as  this,  with  the  difgraceful  name 
of  fanaticifm  or  fuperftition." 

A  minifter  of  the  Gofpel  fhould  not 
only  learn  to  endure  hardnefs  as  a  good 
foldier  of  ^feflis  Cbriji,  but  mould  pro 
ceed  with  the  greateft  circumfpection, 
as  well  as  faithfulnefs.  He  fhould  not 
only  be  careful  of  every  aclion,  but  of 
every  word  that  he  utters  in  public 
and  in  private.  He  ihould  be  fo- 
ber,  temperate,  diligent,  juft,  and  ho 
ly.  ,  He  fhould  think  of  the  noble 

caufe 


109 

caufe  in  which  he  is  engaged  to  induce 
him  to  the  practice  of  more  than  com 
mon  virtues.  He  fhould  confider,  if 
he  conduces  himfelf  properly,  that  he  is 
a  fpectacle  to  men  and  angels;  the  Son 
of  God  is  his  leader,  the  Almighty  his 
rewarder,  and  Heaven  his  prize.  In 
fuch  a  caufe  he  fhould  not  be  a  fniveller, 
but  a  Chriftian  hero.  The  Apoftle  fine 
ly  fays,  "  Who  ihall  feparate  us  from 
the  love  of  Chrift  ?  Shall  tribulation,  or 
diftrefs,  or  perfecution,  or  famine,  or 
nakednefs,  or  peril,  or  fword  ?  (As  it 
is  written,  for  thy  fake  we  are  killed 
all  the  day  long  \  we  are  accounted  as 
fheep  for  the  ilaughter.)  Nay  in  all 
thefe  things  we  are  more  than  con 
querors  through  him  that  loved  us." 
Romans  viii,  35,  &c. 

The  following  paffage  in  the  Revela 
tion  of  St.  John,  feems  at  prefent  to 
deferve  peculiar  confideration.  "  And 
I  faw  another  Angel  fly  in  the  midft  of 
Heaven,  having  the  Everlafting  Gofpel 
to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell  on  the 
earth,  and  to  every  nation,  and  kin 
dred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  faying 
with  a  loud  voice,  Fear  God  and  give 
K  glory 


I  10 

glory  to  Him,  for  the  hour  of  his  judge 
ment  is  come ;  and  worfhip  Him  that 
made  heaven  and  earth,  and  the  fea,  and 
the  fountains  of  waters.  And  there  fol 
lowed  another  Angel,  faying,  Babylon 
is  fallen,  is  fallen,  that  great  city,  be- 
caufe  fhe  made  all  nations  drink  of  the 
wine  of  the  wrath  of  her  fornication/' 
xiv,  6,  7  and  8, 

It  feems  well  afcertained  by  the  beft 
commentators,  that  St.  John  means  the 
Papal  Power  by  Babylon.  Sir  Ifaac 
Newton  and  Doctor  Samuel  Clarke  are 
of  opinion  that  the  downfal  of  the  Pa 
pal  Power  will  not  happen  .until  fome- 
where  about  the  year  2000.  They  date 
the  rife  of  the  Papal  Power  from  755. 
The  majority  of  chronologifts,  hiftori- 
ans  and  commentators,  however,  date 
its  rife  from  the  year  606,*  when  the 
Emperor  Phocas  made  certain  conceffi- 
ons  to  the  Pope,  who  from  thence  be 
came 


*  See  wich  various  other  authors,  Dr.  Blair's  ce 
lebrated  Chronological  Tables,  who  fays  at  the  year 
606,  "  Here  begins  the  power  of  the  Popes,  by  the 
conceffions  of  Phocas." 

The  Pope  in  606  took  the  title  of  Univerfal  Bi- 
ihop  ;  and  power  in  fpirituals  is  generally  allowed  to 
give  power  in  temporals. 


Ill 

came  a  temporal  Power.  As  I  have 
before  mentioned  in-  my  writings,  I  can 
not  help  being  inclined  to  this  opinion 
of  the  majority,  and  therefore  fuppofe 
the  downfal  of  the  Papal  Power  will 
happen  fomewhere  about  the  year  1 848, 
notwithftanding  the  high  reverence 
which  I  bear  for  the  learning  and  talents 
of  Sir  Ifaac  Newton  and  Doctor  Clarke. 
The  appointed  time  for  the  continu 
ance  of  the  Papal  Power  is  generally  al 
lowed  by  commentators  to  be  1 260  pro 
phetical  years  of  3 60  days  each,  which 
are  1 242  of  our  common  years.  If  we 
add '606  to  1242  they  make  1848. 

By  the  institution  of  the  Miffionary 
Society  in  London,  the  institution  of 
the  Miffionary  Societies  in  North  Ame 
rica,  and  other  circumltances,  there  is 
a  very  particular  dciire  at  this  time  in 
the  profeflbrs  of  Chriftianity,  to  preach 
the  Gofpel  to  "  every  nation,  and  kin 
dred,  and  tongue,  and  people,"  which 
feems  to  be  a  fulfilment  of  the  prophe 
cy.  It  is  now,  therefore,  that  unapal- 
kd  by  danger,  and  unfeduced  by  eafe 
and  ambition,  we  fhould  bear  the  una 
dulterated  Gofpel  of  our  Redeemer  in 

thunder 


112 

thunderf-  over  an  aftonimed  world.  The 
Almighty  has  fet  his  King,  our  Lord 
and  Saviour,  upon  his  holy  Hill  of  Zi- 
on.  In  vain  mall  earth,  mall  hell  op- 
pofe.  The  decree  is  gone  forth,  and 
will  in  time  be  fulfilled,  which  fays, 
"  Afk  of  me  and  I  will  give  thee  the 
heathen  for  thine  inheritance,  and  the 
uttermoft  parts  of  the  earth  for  thy  pof- 
feffion."  Pfalm  ii.  The  labourers  are 
now  comparatively  few  in  regard  to  the 
fields  which  are  white  unto  harveft.  It 
is  now  that  the  fervants  of  the  Lord 
mould  peculiarly  exert  themfelves.  In 
inis  cauie  however,  they  mould  abiiain 
from  all  improper  fraud  and  violence, 
and  learn  to  become  terrible  in  meek- 
nefs.  It  is  now  that  his  fpirit  (which 
he  will  give  to  all  who  afk  it  properly) 
will  powerfully  attend  their  well  de- 
figned  endeavours.  They  mould  re 
member  that  "  they  who  turn  many  to 
righteoufnefs,  will  mine  forth  as  the 
flars  forever."  Daniel, 

If  we  raife  on  high  the  Banner  of 
Chrift  they  will  flock  to  it  from    the 

eaft, 

f  f«  And  he  firnamed  them  Boanerges,  which  is 
the  Tons  of  thunder.'*     Markiiij   17. 


eaft,  and  the  weft,  from  the  north,  and 
from  the  fouth ;  and  if  we  ufe  worthy 
means  in  the  propagation  of  the  Gofpel, 
we  may  be  allured  of  the  all -pre  vailing 
aid  of  that  great  and  true  God,  who 
lifts  up  his  hand  to  heaven,  and  whole 
Word,  as  well  as  his  Throne,  will 
ftand  forever. 

I  fuppofe  in  the  paffage  which  I  have 
juft  quoted  from  the  Revelation  of  St. 
John,  there  is  an  allufion  to  the  words 
of  our  Saviour,  "  And  this  Gofpel  of 
the  kingdom  fhall  be  preached  in  all 
the  world  for  a  witnefs  unto  all  nations, 
and  then  fhall  the  end  come.''  Mat 
thew  xxiv,  14.  Chriftians  fhould  at 
this  time,  with  due  care  and  fidelity, 
preach  the  Gofpel  as  a  trial  to  all  nati 
ons,  and  if  it  is  accepted  or  not,  thole 
who  preach  it  fhould  reft  fatisfied  in 
their  confciences,  from  having  done 
their  duty. 

Great  and  fingular  movements  have 
lately  happened  in  Kentucky,  a  new 
ftate  in  the  weftern  territory  of  the 
United  States  of  America.  Large  bo 
dies  of  people  have  continued  encamp- 
K2  ed 


ed  for  a  confiderable  time,  for  months, 
in  the  eaftern  part  of  that  ftate,  for  the 
purpofe  of  attending  to  fome  minifters 
who    have  preached  there.      Colonel 
Robert  Paterfon  of  Lexington  in  Ken 
tucky,   in   a  letter  to  the  Rev'd.  Dr. 
John  King  of  Pennfylvania,  dated  Sep 
tember  25,  1 80 1,  fays,  "  On  the  third 
fabbath  of  June,  the  facrament  was  ad- 
miniftered  at  Lexington,  Mr.  Welch's 
congregation ;  the  fame  day  at  Indian 
Creek,  Mr.  Robertfon's  congregation, 
the  latter  on  Kingfton  Creek,  eighteen 
miles  below  Paris,  and  twenty  miles 
north  of  this  place.     The  former  began 
on  Friday,  and  continued  till  Tuefday, 
being  the  firft  time  that  the  ftrange  work 
made  its  appearance  here.     About  70 
were    ftruck--- 300  communicants — 
6000  perfons  in  all  attended.   The  latter 
commenced  on  Tuefday  and  continued 
till  Thurfday,  day  and  night,  the  firft 
night  excepted.   About  10,000  perfons 

50  waggons 800  ftruck 500 

communicated. 

"  On  the  firft  fabbath  of  Auguft  was 
the  facrament  at  Kainridge,  the  congre 
gation  of  Mr.  Stone,  This  was  the 

largeft 


largeft  meeting  of  any  that  I  have  feen : 
it  continued  from  Friday  till  Wednefday . 
About  12,000  perfons — 125  waggons, 
— 8  carriages — 900  communicants" 

This  gentleman  in  the  fame  letter 
fays,  "  Notwithftanding  all  that  our 
minifters,  and  a  vaft  number  of  the  moft 
refpedlable  and  fenfible  people  in  the 
country,  acknowledge  that  it  is  the 
wonderful  work  of  God,  and  is  mar- 
velloufly  manifefted  to  us ;  yet  there  are 
people  fo  hardened,  that  they  either  can 
not  or  will  not  acknowledge  the  work 
to  be  of  God,  but  reprefent  it  in  an  un 
favourable  view." 

This  fpirit  has  fpread  in  the  ftates  of 
Tenneffee  and  North  Carolina,  and 
what  is  very  remarkable,  is  faid  to  have 
originated  with  the  Prefbyterians. — 

The  following  is  an  extract  of  a  let 
ter  from  a  Prefbyterian  to  his  friend  in 
Baltimore. 

Bourbon  County, 
7th  Auguft,  1801. 

"  My  dear  friend, 

"  I  am  on  my  way  to  one  of  the 
greatefl  meetings  of  the  kind  perhaps 

eve 


ever  known:  it  is  on  a  facramental  occa- 
fion.  Religion  has  got  tofuch  a  height 
here  that  people  attend  from  a  great 
diftance :  on  this  occafion  I  doubt  not 
but  that  there  will  be  ten  thoufand  peo 
ple,  and  perhaps  five  hundred  waggons. 
The  people  encamp  on  the  ground  and 
continue  praiiing  God  day  and  night, 
for  one  whole  week  before  they  break  up, 
during  which  time  between  five  hun 
dred  and  a  thoufand  fall  to  the  ground 
and  lie  for  feveral  hours  deprived  of  the 
ufe  of  their  limbs.  Some  come  to  un 
der  pungent  conviction,  and  continue  in 
that  diftreffed  way  until  they  are  enabled 
to  lay  hold  on  Jefus  Chrift  by  faith; 
others  come  to  having  delightful  difco- 
veries  of  Chrift  as  their  Saviour,  and  are 
enabled  to  fpeak  in  a  drain  that  aftonifli- 
es  the  multitude. 

"  This,  my  dear  fir,  is  a  new  thing  in 
the  Prefbyterian  Church  j  and  many  op- 
pofe  the  work ;  but  for  my  part  I  be 
lieve  it  to  be  a  glorious  work,  and  an 
uncommon  difplay  of  the  power  of  God. 

"  lamtoldbyeye-witnefles  that  Pref 
byterian,  Baptift,  and  Methodift  minii- 

ters 


117 

ters  unite,  break  bread  together  in  token 
of  their  Chriftian  love  and  fellowfhip, 
the  one  with  the  other,  and  are  mutual 
ly  ftriving  to  build  up  the  Church  of 
Chrift." 

It  would  be  a  commendable  conduit 
in  the  prudent  miniflers  of  the  Gofpel 
in  this  part  of  the  world,  to  foften  down 
any  improper  enthufiafm  or  wild  fire 
that  may  have  appeared  in  thefe  move 
ments,  into  a  rational  fpirit  of  manly 
fteady  piety. — They  may  feize  an  op 
portunity  from  thefe  large  meetings,  to 
induce  the  people  to  fobfcnbe  for  the 
eflablifhment  and  regular  fupport  of 
churches  and  meeting-houfes*  wherever 
they  may  be  wanted  throughout  the 
country,  and  for  the  encouragement  of 
wife  and  pious  Mifiionaries  to  the  re 
mote  tribes  of  the  Indians. — When 
people  aflemble  from  a  great  diftance  for 
a  long  time,  there  is  danger  that  their 
farms  and  their  trades  may  be  neglefted, 
and  that  though  fome  may  come  to  pray, 
others  will  come  to  frolic. — The  vete 
rans  in  the  caufe  of  Chrift  fhould  always 
endeavour  to  corred:  the  enthufiaftic 
irregular  fallies  of  new  raifed  troops, 

who 


who  are  too  apt  to  miftake  the  fuggef- 
tions  of  fancy  for  true  infpiration,  and 
to  procure  (according  to  the  injunction 
of  the  Apoftle)  that "  all  things  be  done 
decently  and  in  order." 

Sentiments  more  favorable  to  the  In 
dians,  than  were  formerly  entertained, 
have  of  late  years  been  generally  adopted 
by  the  people  of  the  United  States. 
There  were  fome,  feveral  years  ago,  who 
contended  for  the  utter  extirpation  of 
the  Indians.  The  belief  that  the  In 
dians  are  defcended  from  the  ten  tribes, 
inuft  have  a  tendency  to  foftcn  the 
minds  of  mankind  towards  them.  This 
belief  is  generally  gaining  ground,  r.nd 
even  among  fome  who  once  violently 
contended  againft  the  doctrine.  It  is  a 
found  truth,  that  many  of  the  Indians  in 
America  are  defcended  from  the  ten 
tribes,  and  time  and  inveftigation  will 
more  and  more  enforce  its  acknowledge 
ment.  It  is  not  candid  and  becoming 
in  any  haftily  to  condemn  this  dodlrine, 
who  have  not  a  confiderable  knowledge 
of  the  Mofaic  law,  and  of  the  cuftoms 
of  the  Indians,  by  which  a  fimilarity 
between  the  Jews  and  Indians  may  be 

traced 


traced.  I  have  ihewn  in  the  former 
part  of  this  work  that  Mr.  Hearne,  and 
even  David  Brainerd  the  Miffionary  to 
the  Indians  (who  deferves  to  be  men 
tioned  with  great  refpedl  for  his  piety) 
were  ignorant  of  fome  points  of  the 
Mofaical  law,  which  they  held  to  be 
fuperftition  in  the  Indians.: — There  is 
a  very  remarkable  pafiage  in  favor  of  this 
do&rine  in  "  the  Journal  of  a  two 
months  tour  in  America:  by  Charles 
Beatty,  A.  M."  London  printed,  1768. 

In  page  84,  Mr.  Beatty  fays  "  I  have 
before  hinted  to  you,  that  fince  I  had  the 
pleafure  of  feeing  you  laft,  I  had  taken 
pain§  to  fearch  into  the  ulages  and  cuf- 
toms  of  the  Indians,  in  order  to  fee 
what  ground  there  was,  for  fuppofing 
them  to  be  part  of  the  ten  tribes :  and 
I  mu  ft  own,  to  my  no  fmall  furprife, 
that  a  number  of  their  cuftoms  appear 
fo  much  to  referable  thofe  of  the  Jews, 
that  it  is  a  great  queflion  with  me,  whe 
ther  we  can  exped:  to  find  among  the 
ten  tribes  (wherever  they  are)  at  this 
day,  all  things  confidered,  more  of  the 
footfteps  of  their  anceftors,  than  among 
the  different  Indian  tribes* 

The 


120 

The  conduct  of  the  Indian  women, 
in  certain  circumftances,  feems  to  be  in 
a  manner  perfectly  agreeable  to  the  law 
of  Mofes. — A  young  woman,  at  the 
firft  appearance  of  the  catamenia,  imme 
diately  feparates  from  others,  makes  up 
a  hut  for  herfelf  at  fome  diftance  from 
the  town,  or  houfe  me  lived  in,  and  re 
mains  there  during  the  whole  time  of 
herdiforder,  that  is,  feven  days.— -The 
perfon  who  brings  her  victuals,  is  very 
careful  not  to  touch  her  j  and  fo  cau 
tious  is  me  herfelf  of  touching  her  own 
food  with  her  hands,  that  me  makes  ufe 
of  a  fharpened  flick,  inflead  of  a  fork, 
with  which  to  take  up  her  venifon,  and 
a  fmall  ladle  or  fpoon  for  other  food. — 
When   the   feven    days   are  ended  Ihe 
bathes  herfelf  in  water  (ufually  in  fome 
neighbouring  brook  or  river)  waihes  all 
her  clothes,    and  cleanfes   the    veffels 
fhe  made  ufe  of  during  her  menfes.  Such 
as  are   made  of  wood  fhe  fcalds  and 
cleanfes  with  lye,  made  of  wood  afhes  -3 
and  f  uch  as  are  made  of  earth  or  iron,  fhe 
purifies  by  putting  them  into  the  fire : 
fhe  then  returns  to  her  father's  houfe,  or 
the  family  fhe  left;  and  is,  after  this, 
lopked  upon  fit  for  marriage  and  not  be- 
before. 


121 

before.  A  woman,  when  delivered  of  a 
child,  is  feparated  likewife  for  a  time. 

I  have  been  at  a  place  in  New  Jerfey, 
more  than  once,  called  in  the  Indian 
language,  Cro/s-week-fung,  that  is  the 
houfe  of  feparation,  which  took  its 
name,  no  doubt,  from  its  being  a  noted 
place  for  that  purpofe.  Near  this  was 
formerly  an  Indian  town. 

The  Indians  obferve  the  feaft  of  firft- 
fruits  :  and  before  they  make  ufe  of  any 
of  their  corn,  or  fruits  of  the  ground, 
twelve  of  their  old  men  meet  3  when  a 
deer  and  fome  of  the  new  corn  are  pro 
vided,  the  venifon  is  divided  into  twelve 
parts,  according  to  the  number  of  the 
men ;  and  the  corn,  beaten  in  a  mortar, 
prepared  for  ufe  by  boiling,  or  baking 
it  into  cakes  under  the  afhes,  is  divided 
into  the  fame  number  of  parts  with  the 
venifon;  then  thefe   men  (if  I  forget 
not)  hold  up  the  venifon  and  corn,  and 
pray,  as  they  term  it,  with  their  faces 
to  the  eaft,  acknowledging  I  fuppofe, 
the  goodnefs  and  bounty  of  heaven  to 
them ;  and  perhaps,  in  this  prayer,  feek 
to  God,  in  fomc  manner  for  a  bleffing 
L  on 


122 

on  their  firft  fruits;  the  venifon  and 
corn,  prepared,  are  then  eaten  by  thofe 
prefent;  after  this,  they  make  ufe  of 
their  corn  and  other  fruits  of  the  earth 
freely.  * 

Another  public  feaft  they  have  in  the 
evening,  which  looks  fomewhat  like 
the  paffover ;  when  a  great  quantity  of 
venifon  is  provided  with  other  things, 
dreffed  in  their  ufual  way,  and  propor 
tions  thereof  diftributed  to  all  the 
guefts,  of  which  they  eat  freely  that 
evening;  but  that  which  is  left,  is 
thrown  into  the  fire  and  burned,  as  none 
of  it  muft  remain  till  the  fun  rife  the 
next  day ;  nor  muft  a  bone  of  the  veni 
fon  be  broken. 

Once  in  the  year,  fome  of  the  tribes 
of  Indians  choofe,  from  among  them- 
felves,  twelve  men,  who  provide  twelve 
deer,  and  each  of  them  cuts  a  fmall 
pole,  from  which  they  ftrip  the  bark, 
and  make  a  tent,  by  flicking  one  end  of 
the  poles  in  the  ground,  binding  the 
tops  over  one  another,  and  covering  the 
tent  with  their  blankets.  Then  the 
twelve  men  choofe  each  of  them  a  flone, 

which 


12J 

which  they  make  hot  in  the  fire,  and 
place  them  together,  1  fuppofe,  in 
fome  form  of  an  altar^  within  the  tent, 
and  burn  the  fat  of  the  inwards  of  the 
deer  thereon.  At  the  time  they  are  of 
fering,  the  twelve  men  in  the  tent  cry 
to  the  Indians  without  "  we  pray,  or 
praife!"  whoanfwer  "  we  hear."  Then 
the  men  in  the  tent  cry  Ho — ah  !  very 
loud  and  long,  which  appears  to  be 
fomewhat  like  in  found  to  Hallelujah. 
After  the  fat  is  thus  offered,  fome  tribes 
burn  tobacco,  cut  frhe,  upon  the  fame 
ftones :  fome  nations  or  tribes,  choofe 
only  ten  men,  who  provide  ten  deer, 
ten  poles,  and  ten  ftones,  &c. 

Their  cuftom  of  confulting  their 
Pow-waas  (a  kind  of  prophets,  who 
pretend  to  have  converfe  with  fpirits) 
upon  any  extraordinary  occafions,  either 
of  great,  or  uncommon  iicknefs,  or 
mortality,  &c.  and  feems  to  be  in  imi 
tation  of  the  Jews  of  old,  enquiring  of 
the  prophet. 

There  is  one  tribe  of  Indians,  called 
Nanticocks,  that  on  removal  from  their 
old  to  new  habitations,  carry  the  bones 

of 


of  their  anceflors  and  deceafed  relations 
with  them.  I  am  well  allured,  that  fome 
of  the  Indians  will  not  eat  the  hollow 
of  the  thigh  of  the  deer,  but  cut  off 
that  part  and  throw  it  away. 

It  is  a  great  fafhion  with  them  to 
wear  bracelets  of  wampum  (a  kind  of 
bead,  made  of  a  black  fea  ihell,  which 
they  have  inftead  of  money)  on  their 
arms;  and  I  have  frequently  feen  a 
bead  hanging  to  the  bridge  of  their 
nofe;  and  almofl  all  wear  a  kind  of 
mock  jewels  in  their  ears,  compofed  of 
fuch  things  as  they  like.  They  make 
great  ufe  of  bears  oil,  with  which  they 
anoint  their  heads  and  bodies.  They 
have  an  Avenger  of  blood  among  them, 
who  is  the  man  neareft  related  to  the 
murdered,  who  purfues  the  homicide, 
and  takes  his  life  wherever  he  finds 
him. — 

A  Chriftian  Indian  informed  me,  that 
an  old  uncle  of  his,  who  died  about  for 
ty  years  fince,  related  to  him  feveral 
cuftoms  and  traditions  of  the  Indians  in 
former  times ;  and  among  others  that 
circumcifion  was  practifed  long  ago  by 

them; 


125 

them;  but  that  their  young  men  at 
length,  making  a  mock  of  it,  brought 
it  into  difrepute,  and  fo  it  came  to  be 
difufed." 

Carver*  in  his  travels  mentions,  that 

wherever  he   went  among  the  Indian 

tribes  with  the  calumet,  or  pipe  of  peace, 

it  infured  him  civil  treatment.   This  is  a 

L  2  circumftance 

*'  Captain  Carver  Teems  to  doubt  that  the  Indians 
are  defcended  from  the  Jews,  becaufe  the  Indians  do 
not  practice  circumcifion.  It  has  been  proved, 
however,  by  indifputable  evidence,  that  fome  of  them 
have  ufed  this  rite.  Captain  Carver  allows  the  fepa- 
ration  of  the  women  at  a  certain  time,  and  the  facred 
dance,  in  which  they  are  known  to  fing  Hallelujah, 
Yo-he-wah.  He  thinks  with  the  celebrated  Dr. 
Robertfon  in  his  hiftory  of  America,  and  many  other 
writers,  that  the  Indians  came  from  Tartary  and 
paft  over  into  America  at  Behring's  ftraits.  It  is 
the  opinion  of  Dr.  Robertfon,  that  almoft  all  the  In 
dians  in  America  came  originally  from  Tartary.  If 
we  allow  this  point  it  goes  a  great  way  in  favor  of 
the  Indians  being  defcended  from  the  Ten  Tribes, 
for  it  can  be  proved  that  thefe  tribes  were  carried  in 
to  or  near  Tartary,  and  that  they  wandered  from 
thence.— All  who  are  defcended  from  Ifrael  will  in 
due  time  be  reftored  to  the  land  of  their  forefathers, 
though  not  fo  foon  as  fome  vifionary  men  fuppofe, 
and  according  to  the  words  of  the  prophet,  "  they 
ihall  yet  plant  vines  upon  themountains  of  Samaria." 
Jeremiah,  xxxi ;  5. — —If  the  reader  will  attend  to 
the  vifion  in  the  3oth  and  31  ft  Chapters  of  Jeremiah, 
he  will  find  that  "  in  the  latter  days"  all  the  tribes 
of  Ifrael  "  from  the  coaftsof  the  earth"  are  to  be  re- 
flored  to  the  land  of  ibeir  forefathers. 


126 

circumftance  worthy  the  attention  of 
the  miffionaries  who  go  among  the  In 
dians.  Though  the  Indians  are  re 
vengeful,  they  are  generally  hofpitable, 
and  many  of  them  may  fay  with  the  cele 
brated  Indian  chief,  Logan,  "  When  was 
it  that  a  white  man  came  into  the  cabin 
of  Logan  hungry  and  I  did  not  give  him 
meat,  naked  and  I  did  not  clothe  him  ?.J>' 

It  appears  by  an  account  of  the  Con- 
nedlicut  miffions,  in  the  New- York 
Miflionary  Magazine  for  September 
1 80 1,  that  a  miffionary  in  a  late  tour 
"  faw  a  number  of  the  Tontowontaand 
Tufcorora  tribes  of  Indians,  who  expref- 
fed  a  ftrong  defire  to  have  the  Gofpel 
preached  among  them.  Thefe  tribes 
are  in  a  degree  civilized ;  and  there  is  a 
profpedl  that  many  of  them  would  em 
brace  the  Chriftia-n  religion  if  they  had 
the  means  of  being  intruded  in  its  prin 
ciples."  Thefe  tribes  live  between  the 
Genefee  river  and  Niagara.  It  is  much 
to  be  wifhed  that  they  fhould  foon  hear 
what  fome  of  the  Indians  call  the  beloved 
Speech. 

An 


127 

An  attempt  has  been  wifely  made  of 
late  years  by  the  government  of  the 
United  States  to  civilize  the  Indians,, 
and  it  appears  to  meet  with  growing 
fuccefs.  The  Prefident  of  the  United 
States  in  a  meffage  to  both  houfes  of 
congrefs,.  dated  December  8thv  180.1  „ 
fays,  "  Among  our  Indians  alfo  a  fpirit 
of  peace  and  friendfhip  generally  pre 
vails;  and  I  am  happy  to  inform  you 
that  the  continued  efforts  to  introduce 
among  them  the  implements  and  the 
praclifeof  hufbandry,  and  of  the  houfe- 
hold  arts  havenot  been  without  fuccefs : 
that  they  are  become  more  and  more 
leniible  of  the  fuperiority  of  this  depen- 
dance  for  cloathing  and  fubfiftence  over 
the  precarious  refources  of  hunting  and 
fifhing  ;  And  already  we  are  able  to  an 
nounce,  that,  inftead  of  that  conflant 
diminution  of  numbers  produced  by 
their  wars  and  wants,  fome  of  them  be 
gin  to  experience  an  increafe  of  popula 
tion." 

The  following  report  of  Mr.  John 
Young  who  was  fent  by  the  committee 
of  the  fouth  Alkorn  affociation  of  bap.- 
tifts,  as  a  miffionary  to  the  Indians,  is 

taken 


128 

taken  from  a  Kentucky  gazette  of  No 
vember  2oth,  i SQL.. 

"  The  Speech  delivered  the  ad  day  of 
the  council  by  the  Chief,,  Black  Hoof- 

"  Brothers, 

"  We  have  taken  in  toconfideration  your 
letter  to  us,  and  have  come  to  a  refolu- 
tion,  that  we  be  no  more  two  people, 
but  that  we  will  live  as  brothers  even  as 
one  people;— that  the  white  people  and 
red  people  may  be  the  fame  as  one 
body,  or  as  two  good  brothers,  loving 
each  other,  and  to  remain  fo  for  ever. 
We  wifh  that  young  brothers  of  the 
white  people  and  red  people,  may  al 
ways  live  as  brothers,  to  advantage  of 
each  other,  not  break  the  peace  of  them- 
felves  or  their  fathers. 

"'In  anfwer  to  governor  St.  C lair  s 
letter. 

"  As  we  wifh  to  live  in  love  and  peace 
with  all  our  brothers,  we  hope  the 
Great  Spirit  will  diredl  us  to  take  our 
brother's  advice,  as  he  calls  us  fons  or 
children  of  love. 

"  Anfwtr 


129 

"  An  fiver  continued  to  committee. 

"  And  now  brothers  we  have  conclu 
ded  to  tell  you  our  minds  about  your 
kindnefs  in  fending  your  letter  and 
friends  Young  and  Ruddle,  to  tell  us  good 
things  about  the  Great  Spirit  above. — 
Now  brothers  we  havexome  to  a  conclu- 
fion  among  ourfelves  that  we  are  glad 
that  our  white  brothers  have  thought 
of  us  at  laft ;  you  have  diftrefled  your 
red  brothers  in  times  paft  in  driving  us 
from  town  to  town ,  but  we  hope  the 
Great  Spirit  hath  learnt  you  peace  and 
great  good  things.  We  tell  you  that 
we  gladly  receive  the  brothers  that  you 
fent,  and  we  hope  the  Great  Spirit  is 
bringing  the  time  when  the  red  brothers 
and  white  brothers  will  be  as  one,  in 
knowing  thefe  great  things  that  our  bro 
thers  tell  us  about — and  we  hope  that  our 
white  brothers  will  continue  their  love  to 
their  red  brothers,  and  fend  us  the  things 
you  learn  of  the  Great  Spirit — we  are  glad 
— very  glad  for  the  things  you  have  told 
us — our  brother  you  have  fent,  told 
us  yefterday,  good  things  about  loving 
the  Great  Spirit,  and  loving  our  bro 
thers;  that  we  are  all  fure  to  die,  and 

that 


I30 

that  all  people  m-uft  know  the  love  of 
the  Great  Spirit,  and  Jefus  Chrift  that 
he  has  fent,  and  love  their  brothers,  or 
they  cannot  go  to  the  Good  Spirit,  and 
happy  place,  he  has  for  his  people. 

"  The  brother  told  us,  that  the  Good 
Spirit  made  us  %11  of  the  fame  fleih ; 
and  that  he  did  not  wifh  us  to  give  land 
or  money  to  the  white  brothers.  He 
fays  all  he  wants  is  the  happinefs  of  our 
fouls  when  we  die- — for  us  to  know 
the  love  of  cur  maker.  He  tells  us  he 
will  come  once  or  twice  a  year,  to  tell 
us  the  good  things  of  the  other  world ; 
and  we  thank  him  for  coming,  and 
bringing  our  friend  to  be  his  tongue. 
As  you  know  thefe  great  things,  bro 
thers,  we  wifli  you  to  think  about  your 
red  brothers,  and  try  to  teach  us  the 
iinging  or  Gofpel,  and  the  good  things 
our  brother  has  told  us,  about  thofe 
things  our  brother  told  us  yefterday." 

Though  a  minifter  of  the  Gofpel 
fhould  not  feek  after  wealth  by  preach 
ing,  and  in  imitation  of  St.  Paul  fhould 
let  his  own  bands  minifter  to  his  necef- 
Jities,  whenever  he  has  the  opportunity, 

yet 


yet  there  are  times  in  which  it  may  be 
neceflary  to  fupply  him  with  money. 
He  may  be  fick,  and  not  able  to  work, 
or  he  may  be  in  a  place  where  he 
can  get  nothing  by  his  work.  The 
travellingyexpences  of  a  minifter  may 
often  be  fairly  allowed  to  him  by  the 
fociety  connected  with  him,  if  he  has 
no  private  fortune  of  his  own. — Aflb- 
ciations  fhould  be  formed  in  various 
parts  of  the  Chriftian  world  for  the  fur 
therance  of  the  Gofpel. — From  thefe 
aflbciations,  which  fhould  confift  of 
numerous  members,  the  neceflary  mo 
ney  fhould  be  fupplied,  which  is  truly 
and  honeftly  wanted  to  aid  the  caufe. 
In  fome  cafes  it  might  be  ufeful  that  a 
minifter  of  the  Gofpel  fhould  negledl 
all  bufinefs  and  manual  labour,  if  pro 
per  funds  are  eftablifhed  for  his  fup- 
port,  that  he  may  give  more  attention 
to  the  converfion  of  mankind. — It  is  a 
circumftance  worlhy  of  peculiar  regard, 
that  focieties  fhould  be  immediately 
formed  over  the  whole  United  States, 
and  Britifh  provinces,  of  America,  for 
thepurpofe  of  civilizing  and  Chrifti.an- 
izing  the  Indians.  In  many  cafes  it 
might  be  better  that  the  Indians  fhould 

be 


be  civilized  before  an  atttempt  is  made 
to  convert  them. 

It  would  be  prudent  therefore  in  thefe 
focieties  as  their  funds  would  allow  it 
(and  all  well  difpofed  Chriftians  fhould 
be  urged  to  fubfcribe  -f-)  to  a,nvite  the 
Indians  to  the  towns,  where  for  a  time 
their  boarding  and  lodging  fhould  be 
given  to  them  gratis,  and  they  fhould 
be  inftructed  in  arts  and  trades  which 
would  be  immediately  ufeful  to  them. 
This  fcheme  might  be  adopted,  as  well 
as  the  attempt  to  inftrucl:  and  convert  the 
Indians  in  their  own  country.  The 
members  of  thefe  focieties  fhould  invite 
the  Indians  to  their  houfes,  and  fhould 
take,  in  fuch  cafes,  efpecial  care  that 
they  are  not  not  led  away  by  vicious 
company.  It  would  be  beft  at  firft  to 
teach  them  to  be  carpenters,  farmers, 
blackfmiths,  potters,  tanners,  &c.  Be 
fore,  or  unitedly  with  this,  they  fhould 
be  inftructed  in  the  Englifh  language. 

The 


f  A  gentleman  of  property  in  the  ftate  of  New 
Jerfey  has  lately  given  a  confiderable  quantity  of 
land  for  the  benefit  of  the  Indians. — Much  might  be 
faid  in  favour  of  letting  afiie  back  lands  for  the  be 
nefit  of  the  Indians,  which  in  time  will  be  of  immenfe 
value. 


'33 

The  fimple  principles  of  Chriftianity 
fhould  afterwards  gently  and  gradually 
be  inftilled  into  their  minds.  The  peo 
ple  called  Quakers  have  lately  inftrudted 
feveral  Indian  children,  boys  and  girls, 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Philadelphia, 
all  of  whom  they  have  fent  back  to  their 
own  country,  where  they  will  probably 
become  ufeful  members  of  fociety,  ex 
cepting  one  Indian  young  man :  He  is 
now  the  foreman  in  the  ihop  of  a  re- 
fpedtable  Blackfmith,  in  the  town  of 
Chefter,  near  Philadelphia.  When  this 
Indian  returns  to  his  country  he  maybe 
of  very  confiderable  fervice  to  it,  for  he 
is  fober,  diligent,  and  well  fkilkd  in  his 
trade. — It  is  a  very  judicious  fcheme  to 
make  the  young  Indians  Blackfmiths. 
The  celebrated  Mr.  Locke  fays,  that  a 
great  deal  of  the  advantage  of  civilized 
over  favage  life,  confifts  in  die  know 
ledge  of  the  ufe  of  iron.  It  is  an  un- 
reafonable  idea,  unfounded  on  truth  and 
experience,  that  Indians  can  never  be 
brought  to  be  employed  in  any  kind  of 
manufactures  or  agriculture.  I  have 
feen  them  with  my  own  eyes  felling 
balkets  of  curious  workmanfhip,  which 
they  were  very  fond  to  make. 

M  The 


'34 

The  fociety  of  Friends  deferve  great 
praife  for  their  endeavours,  wherever 
they  have  the  opportunity,  in  which 
they  fhould  be  joined  by  all  confiderate 
people,  to  difcourage  the  improper  ufe 
of  fpirituous  liquors  among  the  Indians. 
This  fatal  propeniity,  which  can  with-f- 
difficulty  be  eradicated  from  their  breafts, 
debafes  the  character  of  the  Indians,  in-; 
flames  them  to  acts  of  madnefs,  often 
reduces  them  to  want,  and  thins  their 
population. 

The  mo-ft  nfeful  art  to  the  Indians 
immediately,  will  be  that  of  agriculture. 
If  they  have  no  means  of  gaining  a  live 
lihood  but  by  hunting,  when  the  coun 
try  comes  to  be  fettled,  they  will  be 
ftarved.  It  is  a  caufe  therefore  of  the 
greateft  importance  for  which  I  contend 
when  J  write  in  favour  of  the  Indians, 
of  life  and  death  fpiritually  and  tempo 
rally  confidered,  and  I  truft  that  the 

juftice 


M  I  once  heard  an  Indian  Chief,  fay  «  I  am  nenher 
Atheift,  nor  Deift,  but  an  honed  Prefoytenan,  yet  I 
love  grog."  The  Prelbyterian  church,  however,  i. 
truft  will  proteft  agair.ft  the  immoderate  ufe  of  this 
liquor, 


juftice  and  facredneis  of  that  caufe  will 
give  dignity  to  importunity.  We  fliould 
folicit  immediate  and  powerful  exer 
tions  in  favour  of  the  Indians.  They 
have  been  held  in  too  contemptuous  a 
view,  and  many  of  them  may  prove  to 
be  of  the  chofen  people  of  God,  to  be 
of  illuflrious  defcent,  and  exalted  def- 
tination. 


APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX. 


THE  people  called  Quakers,  with 
a  benevolence,  which  is  worthy 
of  praifeand  imitation,  have  lately  taken 
into  confideration  the  growing  diflreffes 
of  the  Indians. 

"  A  report  on  the  fubjecl:  of  the  In 
dian  natives,  was  made  to  the  Yearly 
Meeting  on  the  ad  of  October,  1795, 
and  then  read,  coniidered,  and  adopted. 
On  the  next  day  it  was  again  read  and  a 
committee  of  twenty-nine  were  ap 
pointed  to  receive  and  appropriate  fuch 
monies  as  may  beraifed  towards  effect 
ing  the  beneficial,  pious  purpofcs  held 
up  to  view  in  faid  report. 

Ma  At 


At  a  meeting  of  the  faid  committee  in 
Philadelphia)  on  the  ^d  oj  the  nth 
month ,  1795,  the  following  epiftle 
was  directed  to  the  quarterly  and 
monthly  meetings  belonging  to  thefaid 
yearly  meeting. 

The  committee  appointed  by  the 
yearly  meeting  to  attend  to  the  growing 
concern  for  the  welfare  of  our  Indian 
brethren,  have  ferioufly  confidered  the 
important  truft  devolved  upon  them* 
the  profecution  of  which  will  evidently 
require  prudence,  patience,  andperfeve- 
rance;  its  ultimate  object,  under  the  Di 
vine  bleffing  being  no  lefs  than  the  tem 
poral  and  fpiritual  welfare  of  fome 
thoufands  of  our  fellow  men,  and  their 
pofterity. 

Difficulties,  however,  mould  not  dif- 
courage  us  from  the  exercife  of  our 
Chriftian  duty  toward  thefe  people, 
when  we  call  to  mind  that  they  were 
the  original  inhabitants  of  this  land,  and 
that  they  kindly  received  and  made  room 
for  our  forefathers,  when  they  wereflran- 
gersinit;  efpecially  as  we  are  fettled 
upon  the  lea  coafts,  and  parts  adjacent, 

enjoying 


enjoying,  through  the  bounty  of  Provi-^ 
dence,  an  abundance  of  temporal  blef- 
fmgs,  where  they  once  lived  in  cafe  and 
plenty,  but  are  now  wandering  from  hill 
to  hill,  fcarcely  able  to  find  fubfiftence 
in  their  former  way  of  life — -Circum- 
ftances  which  loudly  call  for  our  bro 
therly  affiftance,  to  put  them  in  a  way 
to  fupport  themfelves  by  agriculture 
and  handicraft. 

It  is  hoped  that  fome  fober  well  qualifi 
ed  friends  will  be  drawn  to  unite  with  the 
concern  fo  far  as  to  go  among  them  for 
thepurpofeof  inftruding  them  in  huf- 
bandry  and  ufeful  trades;  and  teaching 
their  children  necefTary  learning,  that 
they  may  be  acquainted  with  the  fcrip- 
tures  of  truth,  improve  in  the  principles 
of  Christianity,  and  become  qualified 
to  manage  temporal  concerns — and  it 
is  expected  that  the  committee  will  find 
it  expedient  to  eredl  grift  and  faw  mills, 
fmith's  fhops,  and  other  neceflary  im 
provements  in  forne  of  their  villages. 
For  the  ii upport  of  thofe  who  may  be 
difpofed  to  undertake  the  performance 
of  thefefervices,  due  provifion  is  intend 
ed  to  be  made ;  and  any  propofals  from 

concerned 


concerned  friends  will  be  received  by 
Thomas  Wiftar  of  Philadelphia,  our 
clerk,  and  kid  before  the  committee 
forconfideration. 

The  prefent  appears  to  us  a  favoura 
ble  period  for  carrying  on  this  good  work 
—the  boundaries  of  fome  of  the  Tribes 
are  fixed  by  treaty — their  lands  cannot 
now  be  fo  eafily  alienated  as  heretofore, 
and  evil  communication  with  traders 
and  others  is  intended  to  be  prevented 
by  government,  whofe  confent  and  ap 
probation  of  the  meafures  propofed  have 
been  already  expreffed* 

We  have  appointed  John  Elliot  our 
treafurer,  who  is  to  receive  the  collec 
tions  that  may  be  made  in  the  feveral 
monthly  meetings  for  thefe  benevolent 
purpofes . 

To  fpread  before  friends  fome  infor 
mation  of  the  prefent  opening  for  ufe- 
fulnefs,  the  following  fpeeches  of  fome 
of  their  chiefs,  and  extracts  of  letters 
from  others  who  have  been  taught  to 
read  and  write,  are  feleded  from  a  con- 

iiderable 


iiderable  number  which  fpcak  the  fame 
language,  from  different  tribes. 

Signed  by  direction,  and  on  behalf 
of  the  committee,  by 

THOMAS  WISTAR,  Clerk. 

EXTRACTS  FROM  SPEECHES  AND  LETTERS 
OF  SOME  INDIAN  CHIEFS. 

The  Speech  of  Gayajlnita,  an  ancient 
Qhief  of  the  Seneca  nation  on  the 
borders  of  Pennfyfoania,  as  given  in 
charge  by  him  to  one  of  the  Sachems 
of  that  nation,  in  the  year  1790,  to 
be  delivered  to  the  Friends  of  Phila- 
phia. 

Brothers,  the  Sons  of  my  beloved 
Brother  ONAS,* 

When  I  was  young  and  ftrong  our 
country  was  full  of  game,  which  the 
Good  Spirit  fent  for  us  to  live  upon. 
The  lands  which  belonged  to  us  were 
extended  far  beyond  where  we  hunted.  I 
and  the  people  of  my  nation  had  enough 

to 


*  Onas  is  the  Indian  word  for  a  quill,  and  by  that 
name  they  fpeak  of  William  Penn. 


142 

to  eat,  and  always  fomething  to  give  to 
our  friends  when  they  entered  our 
cabins;  and  we  rejoiced  when  they  re 
ceived  it  from  us :  hunting  was  then  not 
tirefome;  it  was  diverfion ;  itwasaplea-? 
fure.  ; 

Brothers, 

When  your  fathers  alked  land  from 
my  nation,  we  gave  it  to  them,  for  we 
had  more  than  enough:  Gayafhuta  was- 
amongft  the  firft  of  the  people  to  fay, 
"  Give  land  to  our  brother  Onas,  for 
he  Wants  it,"  and  he  has  always  been  a 
friend  tQ  Onas,  and  to^his  children. 

Brothers, 

Your  fathers  faw  Gayafliuta  when  he 
was  young;  when  he  had  not  even 
thought  of  old  age  or  weaknefs :  but  you 
are  too  far  off  to  fee  him  now  he  is  grown 
old.  He  is  very  old  and  feeble,  and  he 
wonders  at  his  own  fliadow,  it  is  become 
fo  little.  He  has  no  children  to  take 
care  of  him,  and  the  game  is  driven 
away  by  the  white  people ;  fo  that  the 
young  men  muft  hunt  al  1  day  long  to  find 
game  for  themfelves  to  eat :  they  have 
nothing  left  for  Gayafhuta.  And  it  is 

not 


H3 

not  Gayafhuta  only  who  is  become  old 
and  feeble ;  there  yet  remain  about  thir 
ty  men  of  your  old  friends,  who,,  unable 
to  provide  for  themfelves,  or  to  help  one 
another,  are  become  poor,  and  are  hun 
gry  and  naked. 

Brothers, 

Gayafhuta  fends  you  a  belt  which  he 
received  long  ago  from  your  fathers,  and 
a  writing  which  he  received  but  as  yef- 
terday  from  one  of  you.  By  thefe  you 
will  remember  him  and  the  old  friends 
of  your  fathers  in 'this  nation.  Look  on 
this  belt  and  this  writing,  and  if  you 
remember,  .the  eld  friends  of  your  fathers, 
con  fide  r  their  former  friendship  and  their 
prefent.diftrefs;  and  if  the  Good  Spirit 
fhall  put  it  in  your  hearts  to  comfort 
them  in  their  old  age,  do  not  difregard 
his  counfel.  We  are  men,  and  there 
fore  need  only  tell  you,  that  we  are  old, 
and  feeble,  and  hungry,  and  naked ; 
and  that  we  have  no  other  friends  but 
you,  the  children  of  our  beloved  brother 
Onas. 

An 


An  extratt  of  a  fpeech  from  Gayont~ 
wagbta,  commonly  called  Corn-Plan 
ter,  a  Sachem  of  the  Six  Nations,  to 
Friend?,  in  the  year  1791. 

Brothers, 

The  Seneca  nation  fee  that  the 
Great  Spirit  intends  they  Jfhould  not 
continue  to  live  by  hunting,  and  they 
look  round  on  every  fide  and  enquire, 
who  it  is  that  fhall  teach  them  what  is 
beft  for  them  to  do. 

Your  fathers  dealt  honeftly  with  our 
fathers,  they  have  engaged  us  to  re 
member  it,  and  we  wifh  our  children 
to  be  taught  the  fame  principles  by 
which  your  fathers  were  guided. 

Brothers, 

We  have  too  little  wifdom  among 
us  -,  we  cannot  teach  our  children  what 
we  perceive  their  fituation  requires  them 
to  know.  We  wifli  to  be  inftru6led  to 
read  and  write  and  fuch  other  things  as 
you  teach  your  children,  efpecially  the 
love  of  peace. 

An 


H5 

An  extraffi  of  a  letter  from  Hendrick 
Aupaumut,  a  Chief  of  the  Mobiconick 
Tribe,  now  fettled  upon  the  Qneida 
Refervation  in  the  State  of  New- 
Tork,  to  William  Savery,  in  the  year 
1794. 

I  and  my  nation  are  fully  determined 
to  become  hufbandmen— are  greatly  en 
couraged  to  go  on  in  the  way  of  induf- 
try,  that  inftead  of  depending  upon  .the 
ufing  guns  for  our  fupport  we  take  hold 
the  ax,  hoe,  plow,  fey  the  and  fickle, 
that  our  children  after  us  may  become 
good  farmers ;  and  above  all,  numbers 
of  us,  both  male  and  female,  are  come 
to  a  refolution  to  wait  upon  the  Great 
Good  Spirit,  who  will  lead  us  in  the 
way  of  everlafting  life— and  I  hope  that 
number  of  my  friends  have  experienced 
in  meafure  the  love  of  Chrift,  who  died 
for  chief  of  finners.  And  we  have  fent 
our  children  to  fchool  every  day  to  learn 
to  read  the  word  of  God  and  other  good 
books— and  endeavour  to  imprefs  the 
things  in  their  minds  which  are  profita 
ble  for  body  and  foul. 

N  My 


146 

My  good  friends,  I  have  juft  inform 
you   our   fituation:    we  have  build  a 
houfe  above  one  year  ago,  about  thirty 
feet  fquare,  to  be  ufe  as  fchool-houfe 
and  a  houfe  where  we  met  on  Lord's 
day  to  wait  upon  God,  and  here  is  fome 
inconvenience  in  the  time  of  cold  wea 
ther,  without  fire  to  warm  the  houfe, 
and  in  confidering  this  I  come  to  con 
clude  a  querie  with  you  as  friend,  whe 
ther  you  would  be  fo  kind  as  to  help  us 
or  fpeak  or  ufe  your  influence  among 
your  brethren  and  friends  in  your  focie- 
ty,  to  help  us  to  keep  this  houfe  warm 
— That   our   poor   children   may   be 
warmed  in  the  time  of  fchool,  and  our 
poor  people  may  not  catch  cold  in  the 
time  of  waiting  and  worshiping  God  in 
this  houfe.     If  you  would,  then  my  pe 
tition  is  to  you  and  your  friends  to  put 
ftove  in  this  houfe,  and  we  will  put  fire 
on  it,  then   the  houfe  will   be  warm 
without   getting  great  deal   of  wood. 
And  I  believe  it  will  be  agreeable  to  the 
Father  of  all  mercies. 

From 


'47 

From  other  letters  from  the  fame  to  the 
fame>  in  the  year  1795- 

My  friend,  I  feel  happy  to  hear  your 
kind  and  friendly  words ;  that  you  had  a 
concern  for  your  poor  Indian  friends, 
and  that  you  would  help  them  both  in 
body  and  foul.  And  the  token  of  which 
you  have  lignified  that  you  would  fend 
fome  books  or  implements  of  hufbandry 
to  fuch  place  as  it  would  be  beft.  My 
friend,  this  is  moil  acceptable  offer;  and 
I  am  requefted  by  my  people  to  deiire 
you  to  fend  fome  implements  of  huf 
bandry  to  Fort  Schuyler  on  Mohawk 
river,  to  John  Poft's,  who  will  take  care 
of  them  till  we  fetch  them.  The  hoes 
are  moft  wanting  among  us,  alib  two 
or  three  plows,  chain  and  fey t lies,  and 
axes,  and  harrow  tooth — thefe  articles 
are  very  fcarce  here  in  wildernefs— if  we 
could  get  fuch  we  could  then  go  on  with 
our  fpring  work.  Refpedting  books, 
fpelling  books  and  primers  are  neceflary, 
for  there  are  about  forty  fmall  children 
who  would  ufe  the  fmall  books,  but 
the  big  children  have  got  fome  books  to 
read  from  other  quarter. 

My 


148 

My  friend,  I  will  acquaint  you  that 
we  attempted  to  build  faw-mill  this 
fummer,  and  have  got  all  the  irons  ready 
—we  intended  begin  to  work  next 
month  but  money  being  fo  fcarce  we 
could  not  purchafe  fome  neceffaries  on 
that  work. 

My  friends  have  thought  that  if  we 
could  hire  fifty  dollars  from  our  friends 
we  could  make  out — and  they  deiire  me 
to  mention  it  to  you — My  friend  I  only 
mention  this  to  you  that  you  may  know 
our  fituation — and  if  you  find  it  you 
could  lent  us  fo  much  without  harm 
to  your  minds,  we  will  replace  next 
winter- -'there  is  annual  fum  come  in 
to  this  nation  out  of  which  we  can  re 
place  your  money. 

My  people  and  friends  does  very  well 
this  fpnng  in  their  attempts  to  learn  to 
be  farmers. 

One  of  my  boys  has  been  fick  and 
died  three  weeks  ago— he  was  eight 
years  of  age— one  week  before  he  expired 
I  afk  him  ieveral  queftions— Among 
other  things  I  alk  him  whether  he  could 

truft 


H9 

truft  our  Saviour  Jefus— hefaid  "  Yes 
I  have  often  pray  to  him  in  my  heart." 

The  New- York  miffionary  Society 
have  attempted  the  converfion  of  fome 
of  the  near  Indians,  and  have  commen 
ced  a  miffion  to  the  remote  tribe  of  the 
Chickafaws.  Nor  have  the  miffionary 
focieties  of  Maffachufetts  and  Connecti 
cut  been  ina&ive. 

Letter  to  the  Rev.  E.  Holmes,  from 
David  Fowler ,  a  truly  religious  man, 
a  principal  chief,  and  'who  is  called  a 
peace-maker  of  Brotherton.  'The  let 
ter  was  dilated  by  the  chief,  and 
written  by  his  f on. 

Dear  Brother, 

The  Lord  our  God  has  once  more 
brought  you  up  here  in  our  town ; 
though  we  live  at  fuch  a  diltance,  yet 
we  are  permitted  to  fee  one  another  this 
fide  the  grave.  Dear  lir,  you  are  wel 
come  in  this  our  town,  and  you  are  wel 
come  in  my  houfe;  and  I  do  rejoice  to 
fee  you  have  fuch  regard  and  pity  for 
poor  Indians.  I  hope  you  will  be  the 
means  of  doing  much  good  amongft  us 
N  2  in 


1 5o 

in  this  part  of  the  land.  As  you  are 
-about  to  go  and  vifit  my  poof  brethren, 
the  Weftern  tribes  of  Indians,  I  pray  the 
Lord  Jefus,  our  God,  will  profper  and 
protect  you  on  your  journey  thither,  and 
blefs  your  endeavours  to  preach  the 
Gofpel  of  Chrift  amongft  them.  I  hope 
you  will  be  the  means  of  the  conviction 
and  converfion  of  many  poor  inhabitants 
of  the  wilder nefs. 

I  am  glad  that  the  Lord  our  God  has 
put  into  the  hearts  of  the  Americans  to 
fend  Mifiionaries  amongft  the  Indians. 
I  am  likewife  very  thankful,  that  the 
Affociation  of  New- York  thinks  of  us 
yet  in  this  town.  Dear  brother,  I  beg 
of  you,  that  you  would  inform  the  Mif- 
fion  Society,  that  I  give  them  a  thou- 
fand  thanks,  that  they  have  taken  up 
fuch  honourable  work  in  fending  a 
Miffionary  amongft  my  poor  benighted 
brethren  in  the  wildernefs.  As  they 
now  begin,  I  hope  they  will  keep  on 
that  good  work ;  I  fay  good  work :  yes, 
I  believe  it  is  honourable  and  commenda 
ble.  I  hope  and  pray,  that  their  en 
deavours,  to  fpread  the  Gofpel  of  Chrift 
amongft  my  heathen  brethren,  will  be 

bleft 


bleft :  therefore,  dear  brother,  I  bid  you 
God  fpeed,  both  in  your  fpiritual  and 
temporal  journey.  Be  courageous  and 
valiant  in  the  fervlce  of  your  Captain  of 
your  falvation.  I  commit  you  to  the 
care  and  protection  of  our  common 
Father,  and  I  pray  that  he  will  give 
you  wifdom,  grace,  and  aid  of  his  fpirit 
wherefoever  you  attempt  to  preach  the 
Gofpel  of  Chrift  amongft  them,  is  the 
prayer  of  your  affectionate  friend  and 
brother, 

DAVID  FOWLER. 

Addreft  to  the  Rev.  E.  Holmesy  in  be~ 
half  of  the  Muhhtconnuck  nation. 

Father,  attend ! 

We  feel  ourfelves  happy,  that,  by 
the  goodnefs  of  the  Great  Good  Spirit, 
we  are  allowed  to  fee  another  good  day, 
and  to  fee  one  another's  faces,  and  that 
we  are  all  well. 

Father,  while  our  heads  were  hanging 
down  by  the  fide  of  our  fire-place,  and 
almoft  difcouraged  to  think  whether  we 
fhould  ever  fee  you  again,  we  heard  the 
found  of  your  feet  walking  on  the  good 

path 


path  we  lately  made;  and  when  we 
lifted  up  our  eyes  we  faw  you  coming 
in  with  a  fmiling  countenance,  as  ufual, 
which  gladdened  our  hearts;  then  we 
fhook  hands  with  you  for  joy,  that  you 
did  not  forget  your  poor  children,  nor 
the  covenant  of  friendftiip  which  has 
been  made  between  our  nation  and  our 
brothers,  the  aflbciation  to  which  you 
belong., 

Father,  after  we  got  together,  you 
delivered  the  talk  which  our  good  bro 
thers  fent  to  us  by  you.  We  are  very 
glad  that  they  are  ftill  holding  faft  the 
chain  of  friendihip  with  us,  and  that 
their  compaffionate  feelings  ftill  con 
tinue  towards  us,  and  towards  our  poor 
brothers  in  the  wildernefs ;  and  alfo  re 
joice  to  hear  that  you  have  feen  your 
way  more  clear,  after  you  had  gone 
through  many  dark  and  heavy  clouds; 
that,  by  the  permiffion  of  the  Great  and 
Good  Spirit,  you  have  travelled  on  our 
path  thus  far,  and  that  you  go  at  the  re- 
queftof  your  good  brothers,  the  Aflbcia 
tion,  together  with  that  of  the  Miffiona- 
ry  Society.  As  our  brothers  told  us  in 
their  talk,  that  you  wifh  to  go  beyond 

our 


our  fire-place  amongft  fome  of  the 
weftern  tribes,  they  hope  we  will  favour 
your  good  intentions,  and  help  you  by 
our  council  and  afliftance. 

Father,  according  to  the  defire  of  our 
brothers,  we  are  willing  to  favour  your 
good  intentions,  and  to  help  you  by  our 
council  and  afliftance  according  to  our 
capacity.  Would  our  fituation  cqn- 
veniently  permit,  wre  might,  fome  of 
us  perfonally  go  with  you  to  introduce 
you  amongft  our  brethren  of  the  differ 
ent  tribes  ;  but  lince  it  is  otherwife,  we 
think  it  would  be  as  well  to  fend  our 
talk,  with  wampum,  by  your  interpre- 
ter,  to  the  tribes  to  which  you  may 
come,  making  known  our  acquaintance 
with  you,  and  the  motive  of  your  vifit- 
ing  them, 

Alfo,  we  think  it  would  be  well, 
whenever  you  come  to  a  town  or  vil 
lage  of  any  of  thefe  tribes,  in  the  firft 
place  to  go  with  your  interpreter,  and 
fee  the  chief  or  chiefs,  call  a  council, 
give  a  complimentary  fpeech,  explain 
your  miffion  as  plain  and  fhort  as  you 
can,  and  then  wait  for  their  anfwer :  and 
we  muft  remind  you  of  one  thing  more, 
though  it  feems  but  a  fmall  thing  5  but 

knowing 


knowing  the  difpofitions  of  heathen 
nations,  we  advife  you  to  fix  your  mind 
upon  it  at  all  times  while  you  fhall  be 
amongft  them ;  take  willingly  any  thing 
eatable  laid  before  you ;  you  muft  not 
manifeft  any  flight  or  difrelim  on  ac 
count  of  its  not  being  drefled  well. 

Father,  you  have  already  diflributed 
to  us  the  good  word  feveral  times  lince 
your  arrival  here,  for  which  we  heartily 
thank  you ;  and  as  you  are  about  to  take 
up  your  pack  for  a  long  journey,  we 
wifh  you  the  kind  protection  of  the 
Great  Good  Spirit,  and  that  he  may 
profper  your  good  and  important  under 
taking  ;  That  you  may  be  the  inftru- 
ment  of  bringing  many  poor  Indians 
from  darknefs  to  marvellous  light  j  and 
in  due  time,  return  home  fafe  to  your 
friends  and  employers, giving  them  a  plea- 
fmg  relation  of  your  journey.  Farewell, 

SACHEMS.          f  Joseph  Shauquethqucat. 
(   Hendrick  Aitpaionut. 
f  Daiid  Neshonnhhuk 
COUNSELLORS.  <  Joseph  Suimiey. 

[  John  Qidnney. 

OWLS.  T  Solomon  Quauquanchmut*. 

\^  John  Wautuhq' naut  ^ 

New-Stockbridge,  July  28,  1800. 


LATELY  PUBLISHED 

BY  THIS  AUTHOR; 

An  EJfay  upon  the  eleventh 
chapter  of  the  Revelation  of  St. 
John. 

"The  Progrefs  of  Liberty^  a 
Pindaric  Ode. 

The  Chriftian,  a  Poem^  in  Fix 
hooks, 


